


A Real Inuzuka

by GremlinSR



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adorable Shikamaru, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Hyuuga Hinata, Bullying, F/M, Fluff, Hokage Nara Shikaku, Humor, Kiba's dead, M/M, Minor Character Death, Ninken being awesome, Original Character Death(s), Team Eight, Tiny bit of Angst, Torture and Gore, Tsume is Awesome, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-01-18 19:18:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 139,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12394491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GremlinSR/pseuds/GremlinSR
Summary: Inuzuka Nariko grew up on the road with her father and now-deceased mother until she turned eight. Now she's living with her Aunt Tsume so she can attend the academy and become a shinobi like her father. When she gets to Konoha, however, she discovers that she doesn't fit the usual Inuzuka mold, and that learning the ninja arts isn't half as difficult as finding her place in the world.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Suoh = Dragon.

The large brown and white dog lifted its head in interest when the girl appeared in his kennel, breathing harshly and smelling of tears. Her long brownish-red hair was full of straw and dirt and she smelled of misery and pain. She curled up in the corner and wrapped her arms around her knees, then lay her head over them. She was trembling slightly but went still as the sound of running footsteps and jeering boys entered the Inuzuka kennels.

"Oi, fake-Inuzuka! We're not done playing!" The girl stiffened but didn't move and Suoh gave a great sigh, causing the girl to lift her head and focus on him with dark eyes. It was too dim to see their true color, but he thought they might be dark brown or grey. Though he was large - he was an Inuzuka ninken, of course, he was - she seemed unafraid of him.

The owners of the footsteps were another matter, though. As they came closer, her eyes widened and her attention was drawn to the open door of Suoh's kennel. "Come out, Nariko. We just want to talk to you. We want to figure out why Tsume-sama took in somebody who claims to be Inuzuka but can't even get a ninken to look at her," a voice taunted and the girl - Nariko - flinched.

 _Ah, this must be the one my fellow ninken have been discussing_. Though Suoh mostly avoided his kin these days, he'd have to be deaf not to hear the whispers. Tsume's brother, whose duty to the village kept him out of it, for the most part, had a daughter almost eight years ago and had been hauling her around with him on his mysterious travels.

He had decided to bring her back to Konoha a few months ago to be raised by the clan and join the academy, but so far none of the ninken had been drawn to her. An embarrassing situation to be in for any Inuzuka who planned to join the academy. Suoh sniffed at the girl, not bothering to be subtle, and flinched away from her at the smell. Not because it was wrong, as his younger brothers and sisters had said, but because it was  _right_.

Panic flooded him, and he backed away from her, because this girl, this child, could not be his partner. His partner, after all, was dead. Nobody could replace his Nikko, no matter what the boy's wishes for Suoh had been at his death.

Despite his denial, he couldn't stop from curling his lip and letting out a deep growl at the Inuzuka youths as they passed in front of his kennel. They started, then stilled, knowing better than to push one of the ninken when they reacted this way, especially one already considered unstable.

"Suoh!" One of them stuttered. "Sorry, we didn't mean to disturb you..."

"Leave," he growled, body trembling with the need to tear apart the little idiots that would threaten  _his_ \- no, not his, but still. She was small for eight, and they were at least eleven. Their partners, still pups themselves, gave small whines, and the boys fled without another word.

With a sigh, Suoh relaxed and ignored the wide eyes that were now staring at him. "Th-thank you," the girl whispered, then collapsed back against the side of his kennel and gave a low sigh. He just grunted in response and laid his head down on his paws. "They're always like that," she added, looking down at her hands in her lap. "Like I can help it that I'm not -" the girl sniffled but didn't finish her sentence.

"I'm Nariko," she finally said and looked at him expectantly. He didn't respond. He wanted the girl to leave, to take the scent that was telling him  _warmth_ and  _home_ and  _safety_ with her but couldn't bring himself to tell her to go. "Daiki called you Suoh, so I guess that must be your name." Still, he stayed quiet, and she huffed a laugh. "Well, it suits you. You're very fierce, and I did think for a moment there that you might breathe fire on them. So, um. Thank you. For getting rid of them."

Suoh just huffed and closed his eyes. The girl didn't say anything else, but she didn't leave either - not until Tsume herself called for her. "Goodbye, Suoh," Nariko whispered before standing up and leaving him.

She returned almost every day after that. After the first few visits, where she ascertained that he wouldn't snap at her - literally - for talking, she started to fill the silence with soft chatter. He learned that her father was partners with the brothers of Kuromaru. Like Hana, he had more than one canine companion - two brothers from the same litter. They had helped Tsume's brother, Tsuneo, raise Nariko.

"Father travels around, gathering information," Nariko said from where she was knitting what looked like dog booties in a deep red color. "He met mother and fell in love, and for awhile she went with him. He always said she was the opposite of an Inuzuka, and that she's the one who taught me to be so contained. She died when I was five, though. It was just the four of us after that," she said softly, lip quirking up in a small smile. "I think I'm more like him, even if I have the vocabulary of my mother - too quiet for an Inuzuka. She was actually quite loud, for all she was elegant. I think that's part of why nobody likes me. Maybe that's why none of the ninken want me," she said in a small, pained voice, and Suoh tried not flinch in guilt. "Anyway," she continued with false cheer, "dad said I had to come back to the Academy so I can learn to be a shinobi, and protect the village. I'm sad that I can't be with him, but I hope I can make friends at the Academy. I've never had friends before, not really. Since we never stayed in one place for too long..."

Suoh relaxed into the sound of her voice, and let it lull him into slumber. He refused to think about what it meant that she was the only thing that allowed him to sleep so well these days.

The first day of Nariko's career at the Academy Suoh found himself agitated and unable to stay in one place for too long. With a growl, he left the kennel and headed out to the field that ran next to the road leading into Konoha proper. He ignored the double takes he was getting from anybody who saw him out and about for more than using the bathroom and paced up and down the fence. About half an hour after he knew school would get out, he saw a small figure coming down the road.

By the slump of Nariko's shoulders, he figured her first day hadn't gone the way she was hoping. Before she could spot him, Suoh darted back to the kennels and slunk his way into his own space. For the first time in almost two years, going outside had felt  _nice_. Perhaps Nikko had been right. Maybe there was still reason for Suoh to go on, even if it was without his partner. Before the ninken could contemplate that further, Nariko had joined him.

"Hello, Suoh," she said, then removed a few textbooks from her bag and a notebook and began to do her homework. He waited for her to tell him about what had her smelling like sadness, but she remained silent.

"How was your first day?" he found himself asking in a voice rough from disuse. Her head whipped up, and she stared at him in shock. It was the first time he'd spoken in all of the weeks she'd been coming to his kennel other than the one word he'd growled at Daichi. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, and he gave her his best grumpy face.

"Um...it was...fine," she said quietly, and jumped when he rumbled at her warningly.

"Don't lie to me, child," he growled, and to his amusement she scowled at him, completely unafraid.

"You want the truth? Fine! It was horrible. As soon as everybody heard my last name, they all wanted to know why I didn't have a ninken. And...and they made fun of my hair. It's just like it is at home, except I can't even escape to see my one friend. Instead, I had to wait until the end of the day to come see you." She sniffled and looked back down at her homework. Stunned, Suoh stared at her. He was her friend? Ignoring the warm feeling in his chest, he huffed and laid his head down carefully on her lap.

Again, she blinked at him in shock. They'd never touched before today either. Tentatively, she patted his head, and gradually as she worked on homework her scent changed to one of contentment. Tired from his first full day outside in months, Suoh drifted off to sleep.

That day set a pattern for the next few months. Suoh still didn't speak much, but he continued to place his head in her lap as she did homework. Sometimes she would tell him stories about people she'd met on her travels with her father, or about some of her classmates. She still hadn't made any friends, and most days came home smelling miserable, but they never spoke of it. After all, what could he really do to help her? He ignored the voice in his head telling him exactly what he could do. It was still too painful to contemplate and felt like a betrayal.

Then came the day that everything changed - the first snow of the season. Instead of waiting outside to catch a glimpse of Nariko, he curled into a miserable ball in his kennel. Nikko's favorite thing in the world had been the snow. Without fail, every year on the day of first snowfall, he would stop, and smile his large, mischievous smile at Suoh.

"Ne, Suoh, I think we can take a moment to enjoy it, huh? You only live once!" And then, depending on the circumstances, they'd ambush his cousins with snowballs, or go sledding on metal disks, or build snowmen and snowdogs until Nikko was red in the face with cold and laughter.

Unaware of the time passing, stuck in his miserable memories, at first he didn't notice Nariko arriving. "Suoh?" her worried voice said, and he flinched at the  _happiness_ that went through him at the sound of her voice. He couldn't take it, not today, not when the wound of Nikko's loss felt so fresh.

"Suoh, are you sick?" she said, softly shuffling into the kennel and kneeling beside him. "I'll go get Tsume-san -" With a growl, he turned and snapped at her hand. She fell back, eyes wide.

" _Leave_ ," he rumbled. For a moment she just stared at him in shocked disbelief, before her face twisted and tears filled her eyes. Guilt immediately followed, but before he could say anything, she had scrambled to her feet and ran out the door.

Suoh allowed himself to wallow, but the next morning, when she didn't come to say goodbye before school, he finally gave into his guilt. When she returned that afternoon, he would apologize. Maybe he would even tell her about Nikko, though he didn't doubt that Tsume had already told her a bit about his past. After all, the illness that had killed Nikko had taken her own son, as well.

However, Nariko didn't come to visit him that evening, either. Suoh considered going to find her at the main house, but the thought of slogging through the snow, walking through the streets of the compound so soon after his breakdown filled him with apprehension. He would wait until tomorrow to see her. Surely, she wouldn't stay away that long.

By noon the next day, he was pacing next to the fence, agitated. His instincts were telling him something was  _wrong_ , that he needed to go find Nariko. Suoh was pulled from his contemplation of the fence -  _I could jump over it and run to the academy, just catch a glimpse -_ when he heard Tsume's voice calling his name.

He turned to her and felt his hackles immediately go up at her scent and blank expression. The last time he'd seen her with that face...

"So she's not with you," the Clan Head said, and then proceeded to swear up a blue streak.

Fear clawing at his gut, he let out a warning growl, ignoring the way Kuromaru's hackles stood up in response. "What. Happened." he gritted out. Tsume curled a lip at him but answered.

"Nariko never made it to school this morning," she said, running an agitated hand through her short hair. "And we're missing one of our travel scrolls."

For a moment, the world tilted, and he couldn't breathe.  _My fault. I've lost another and it's my fault_...

"Suoh!" A shake on his ruff brought him out of his shock, and he found Tsume crouched in front of him, a sympathetic look on her face. "I know she's been havin' a...hard time. With some a' the clan and at school. I'm pretty sure she took off." The woman took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye - an obvious challenge. "We both know what she is to ya', even if you've insisted on torturin' the both of you by denying it. Not that I blame ya.' I understand more than most. But, I could use your help findin' her. The girl's some sort of prodigy with stealth and evasion, accordin' to my brother. You'll be more in tune with her."

Suoh didn't even have to think about it. "Let's go," he said in a gruff voice. Because Tsume was right - he had been hurting the both of them by denying what his instincts had said the first time he met her. She was his, and he was hers. Nikko, he knew, would have approved.

 

_2 Days Earlier_

 

Nariko took a deep breath before entering the Academy, relaxing into the warmth of the building. It had finally snowed that day, and she had to admit the village looked beautiful under a layer of fresh white, even if she could do without the damp cold. She lifted her chin in the air as she entered the classroom, ignoring the group of girls that giggled as she walked by, and took a seat in the back. If she sat at the front, people tended to throw paper and other things into her wild, curly hair.

Nariko had thought about putting it up or cutting it when it first started garnering negative attention but knew that giving in to the taunts would only make her look weak. People may doubt she was a true Inuzuka, but she understood power plays well enough. She sat across the aisle from Hinata, who gave her a small smile. She returned it but didn't bother trying to talk to the girl. The last time she had, it had drawn the attention from the pack of girls that insisted on making Nariko's life difficult. Hinata handled the taunts even worse than Nariko did, who just didn't understand how she was supposed to fight back without going back on everything her father had taught her about being a shinobi.

_Remember, your comrades are precious, and must be treated that way no matter what. You understand, Riko-chan?_

Nariko knew she could fight back physically, but that would be attacking a comrade. She could even respond with words, try to hurt them back the way they hurt her, but was that different than physically attacking them? They'd all learned quickly that while she wouldn't break down or show them submission, she also wouldn't retaliate. For some of the civilian girls and boys who were jealous of her clan name, that was like declaring open season on herself.

Add in her shyness, born from lack of experience with her peer group, and the Academy had been a lonely place. Her cousins couldn't understand her quiet personality and lack of ninken, writing her off as weak, though only a few actually taunted her for it. The only friend she'd made since her father dropped her off with Tsume was Suoh, and she wasn't sure he actually liked her, or if he was just lonely.

Nariko admitted to herself that she had wished he could be her ninken. He was just as cranky and rumbled just as much as she imagined the creature he'd been named after would, but he was also kind of funny, and she found his presence comforting. She knew, however, that they hardly ever chose new partners after theirs died. She felt sorrow for him pool in her chest for the loss that he obviously still suffered from every day.

At the end of the day, Nariko was cutting across the playground, barely noticing the always-napping and always-eating Shikamaru and Chouij sitting under a tree, when somebody pushed her from behind, sending her to her knees. The books she'd been carrying flew from her arms, and she cringed as they landed in the muddy snow.

From the snickers behind her, she knew that one of the large boys from a civilian family in her class and his friends were the culprits. With a sigh, she slowly stood, keeping her spine straight, and walked over to her books, barely giving the boys a glance as she wiped her dirty and cut up hands on her pants. When she went to pick up her books, however, she was shoved over again. This time, she had to purse her lips and let her long hair fall forward to cover her face so they wouldn't know she was on the verge of tears.

"Ah, look, it's the little Inuzuka girl. So weak not even the dogs want her," he said with a laugh and pushed at her with the bottom of a dirty boot. She couldn't hide her flinch, and when she looked over the boy had an ugly sneer on his face.

"I wonder, would your clan even care if you just disappeared, or would they be thankful?" Her breath hitched, and she wanted to smack herself for reacting as a tear fell from her eye, but it was a question she'd been asking herself all too often lately.

"That's enough," a bored voice broke in, and Nariko blinked in shock when she saw Shikamaru, customary slouch in place, standing next to and a little in front of her, Chouji a nervous shadow next to him. "It's troublesome, but if you keep it up, a teacher will notice. I think I saw Iruka-sensei looking out the window."

The boy, Akira, actually looked nervous at that - Iruka-sensei, after all, was known for taking bullies to task. Then, remembering his friends were still there watching the show, he sneered, and reached out and pushed Shikamaru hard enough to send him sprawling in the mud.

"Thanks for the head's up, loser," he called before taking off, his friends laughing as they followed. For a moment, Nariko just stared in shock at the boy who was now slouched over in the mud looking annoyed. Nobody had bothered defending her before - usually, they ignored the bullying. Then, she remembered herself and shot to her feet, rushing over to take one hand to help him up while Chouji took the other.

"Are you okay?" she asked, ignoring her own bruised knees and muddy outfit. "I - thank you for helping me."

He huffed and batted at the mud on his pants. "Troublesome. My mom is going to be such a pain when she sees how dirty I am. Why did you let them push you around like that? I thought you were an Inuzuka," he grumbled, and she froze, chest tightening, and found her eyes filling with tears again.

Even this lazy boy could see that she just didn't  _belong_. "I - I should be going. I'm very sorry for the mess," she whispered and missed the regret that flashed over his face at her reaction as she fumbled to pick up her ruined books from the ground.

"Wait," he said, but she had already taken off in the direction of home.

When she got in, she went straight for the kennels, ready to curl up with Suoh and forget about the whole day. When she entered his kennel, however, she stopped short. The large brown wolf-like dog was curled up in the corner, obviously miserable. Her heart stopped for a second. Was he sick?

"Suoh?" she whispered. When he didn't respond, she shuffled to his side and knelt next to him, reaching out her hand.

"Suoh, are you sick? I'll go get Tsume-san -" With a growl, he turned and snapped at her hand. She fell back at the wild look in his eyes, feeling afraid of him for the first time.

He stared at her for a moment, and she saw that he recognized her. " _Leave_ ," he growled at her, and, heart breaking, she listened.

That night, she lay in bed for a long time, staring at the ceiling. Why had her father sent her here? Hadn't he recognized that she wouldn't fit in? She wasn't as rough or outspoken as most of her clan, even if she did hold the same wildness in her. She didn't even talk like an Inuzuka since her mother had been her teacher for the first five years of her life. If he knew how bad it was, how much they all looked down on her, surely he wouldn't want her to stay.

Nariko wondered where Tsuneo was at the moment. Usually, he spent the months of November and December in the Land of Hot Springs, listening in on rumors from the nobles and tourists who wintered there. It wasn't far from Konoha, really, and she'd spent her whole life traveling and hiding. If she went and found him, he wouldn't turn her away, she was sure. He always said she was damn useful in his line of work. After the idea came to her, she continued to mull it over until she fell asleep.

The next day at school she put more effort into avoiding everyone. Twice, Shikamaru tried to approach her, but she was good at avoidance. That day when she got home, she gritted her teeth against the temptation to check in on Suoh. She'd told Tsume he didn't seem to be feeling well, and the woman had agreed to have one of the ninken medics stop to check on him, though Nariko could tell she knew something she wasn't sharing.

Suoh would be fine, and he obviously didn't want to see her anymore, so. She swallowed but entered the empty house. Biting her lip, she moved quickly to the closet where they kept supplies and took one of the prepacked travel scrolls. Her father had shown her how to use them a long time ago since it was how they carried most of their supplies. Nariko knew from asking Hana that they each held a bedroll, cooking equipment, a tent, water purifying tablets and a first aid kit. She also grabbed a bottle of scent inhibitors and some strong smelling herbs.

She then emptied her backpack of Academy materials - she wouldn't need them anymore, after all - and filled it with protein bars, extra clothes, and some packets of freeze dried food and a water bottle. That night she did her best to act normal, but she could feel Tsume's concerned gaze on her. She was relieved to finally head to bed, though she did give her aunt a firm hug when she said goodnight. Nariko knew it had to be hard, having someone the same age her son would have been living with her, but she'd always treated her kindly, in her own gruff way.

The next morning, she put on a few extra layers and her warmest coat, gloves, hat, and scarf, and grabbed her backpack. She said goodbye to Tsume and Hana and headed out at the same time she always did in the direction of the academy. Once she was out of sight, she changed direction and headed for the east gate, where merchants generally entered and left the city. In the bustle of early morning, she managed to hide away in a wagon heading out of Konoha.

She dozed for a few hours until the caravan stopped for lunch, and slipped away into the surrounding forest when nobody was looking. The further east she walked, the more she relaxed, relief at having escaped a situation where nobody liked or respected her making her almost giddy.

After she'd gone a few miles, she stopped, taking the scent inhibitor from her bag and spraying it across her body, wrinkling her nose at the unpleasant numbing sensation it brought to her face. Then, she removed a small, red sphere from her bag and climbed a tree with a low hanging branch. After bringing the scarf up to her nose, she took a deep breath, and threw the sphere before scrambling to the end of the branch and leaping for the next tree, grasping onto it and hauling herself up, trying to ignore the way her eyes were watering as the chili powder bomb began spreading through the area.

After awkwardly leaping from tree branch to tree branch for a few minutes, she reapplied the scent inhibitor and scrambled down to the ground. Then, she turned south towards the Land of Hot Springs and broke into a light jog. In physical endurance, at least, she fit the Inuzuka mold, having no trouble keeping up the pace until night fell. Nariko looked around until she found a small hollow beneath a root, ignoring the way the cold was seeping through her clothes and making her shiver, and the silence around her seemed to press into her.

This wasn't her first time traveling through the wilderness, it wasn't even her fiftieth time, but before she'd always had somebody to keep her company.  _It's only for a week or so - just until you reach the Land of Hot Water,_ she told herself firmly as she pumped chakra into her storage scroll and removed a bedroll, setting it up in the small hollow.

She then took out some of the herbs that would cover scent in an area and scattered them around before creating a barrier with brush at the opening that would hide her from sight from most angles and crawled into the bedroll.

It was a few hours later, when the temperature dropped alarmingly and the snow began to fall, that she realized she might have miscalculated. Before, she always had her father and Jin and Hao for warmth. This time, she was all alone.

000

Suoh followed Tsume and Kuromaru to the East Gate, where Nariko's scent had disappeared. Waiting for them there was a tall, regal Hyuuga with long brown hair and lavender pupil-less eyes, and an Aburame man, features covered by a coat.

"Hiashi, Shibi, thanks for coming," Tsume said in a clipped voice, and they both inclined their heads. "This is Suoh, he'll be joining us. I lost her scent here - she probably climbed up into one of the merchant's wagons. I got the manifests from the front gates. All of the parties that left were going to stay on the east road for at least a day before veering off, so we'll move in that direction for awhile. Suoh knows her scent best and has always had a strong nose, so he'll take point."

They moved quickly, Suoh ignoring the way his under-used muscles protested the activity as he lifted his nose to the wind. Finally, after an hour of running, he caught a faint whiff of  _home_ and  _family_ , and slowed, closing his eyes until he pinpointed where it was coming from. Then, he turned and darted into the woods at the right, excitement flaring as the scent became stronger. He would find her, and once he did...

Suoh was brought up short as a sneeze wracked his body. His eyes watered and his nose burned and he swiftly backed up, Tsume and Kuromaru coughing next to him and retreating as well.

"What is it?" Hiashi said sharply, putting a hand to Tsume's elbow and helping her pull back, while Shibi took out a water bottle and handed it to her.

"Chili bomb," Suoh growled when he could speak again and ignored the surprised looks from Shibi and Hiashi, who probably thought his silence up until now meant he was one of the ninken who couldn't speak their language.

Tsume let out a wet laugh that was half cough. "I told you the girl was good at evasion." she rubbed her hand across her forehead. "Annoying little chit. We'll have to run the perimeter until we pick up her scent again. Careful not to breathe in too much, Suoh - it could wipe out your receptors for days."

He grumbled, and couldn't help the bit of pride that swelled in his chest for  _his_ clever partner. The good feeling didn't last, however, when they had circled the perimeter in increasingly widening patterns and he still hadn't caught a whiff of her.

"Inhibitors," Kuromaru growled, and Tsume nodded grimly. Hiashi had been using his Byakugan off and on to try and spot her to no avail, and Shibi's insects could only go so far before they had to come back to the warmth of their host. Finally, as night was falling, Suoh caught a faint, faint hint of Nariko's scent, through the tell-tale numbness in his nose that spoke of an inhibitor also being present.

"This way!" he growled and took off without waiting to see if anybody was following. The temperature had dropped quickly, and snow was beginning fall - it was too cold for an eight-year-old who was out on her own, even one as strong and clever as his Nariko.

An hour later, he had hit a dead end again and found himself growling in frustration as he waited for his party to catch up. She was close, he could  _feel_ it, but he couldn't see or hear her through the wind now blowing across the landscape, whipping the snow into flurries.

"There," Hiashi said from where he was crouched next to him, Byakugan activated and pointed at the base of a tree, where some brush was scattered. Suoh leaped forward, Tsume on his heels, and as he got closer he was able to hear a familiar heartbeat and the sound of teeth chattering.

Tsume pulled the brush aside to reveal wide, dark eyes staring out of a small hollow beneath the root of a tree. "Ts-Tsume-obasan?" The girl whispered, and the woman sagged with relief.

"Idiot girl," she whispered and tugged her out of the hollow and into her lap. "Ya have any idea how scared I was? What'd you run off for?"

Shibi and Hiashi stood respectfully to the side, and Suoh hovered uncertainly, unsure of his welcome after the last time they spoke, and almost limp with relief and exhaustion.

"Sorry," the girl said, snuggling close for warmth. "It was p-pretty stupid, huh?"

"There is an unused outpost not far from here that we should go to immediately. Why? Because the girl is obviously cold, and we need to find a place to camp before the snow becomes too deep," Shibi said calmly, and Tsume sighed, then nodded and stood, Nariko still held firmly in her arms.

Hiashi gracefully crouched down and grabbed the girl's bedroll, sealing it efficiently into a scroll and packing it into the girl's bag. "Let us head out, then."

Once they were huddled in front of a fire in the tiny but dry room, and Nariko had stopped shivering from where Kuromaru was curled around her, she finally spoke.

"Sorry, Tsume-obasan, I didn't mean to worry you. I was upset, and thought that...that nobody would really care if I was gone." The adults remained silent, and Kuromaru nudged the girl in encouragement. "It's just, nobody likes me! Everybody says that I can't be a _real_ Inuzuka, even if I look like one, because I'm too quiet and everybody at the Academy m-makes fun of me." she was crying silently now, her little frame wracked with tears. Tsume sighed and pulled Nariko into her lap.

"Ah, girly, you're wrong, you know. I like you," she said quietly. "An' anybody that says you ain't an Inuzuka can come and talk to me - barely eight and givin' one a' the best trackin' teams in the Village a hard time," she said with a sharp smile, and Shibi huffed out a laugh.

"That chili bomb was very well placed, and waiting to use the scent inhibitors until you set it off was clever," Hiashi said in a solemn voice, and Tsume sent the man a thankful smile.

Nariko had stopped crying but was looking down at her hands. "If I'm a real Inuzuka," she said quietly, "Then why do none of the ninken want me?"

Shibi and Hiashi looked over to Tsume in interest, but she gave her head a small shake.  _Later_.

"It's not that none of them want you," a gruff voice said from behind them, and Suoh's large frame moved to sit next to them. "It's just that your partner is a coward."

Nariko jolted and turned her dark brown eyes to him. "Suoh?" she whispered, and he dipped his head in shame.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you the other day," he said gently. "From the moment we met, I knew that you were mine, but I was too scared to do anything about it. After losing Nikko, I didn't want to open myself up again."

The room seemed to be holding its breath as Nariko slid out of Tsume's lap and shuffled to kneel in front of Suoh. "Are you saying...?"

He lifted his large head and met her eyes. "I'm sorry it took almost losing you to find my bravery again. If you'll take me, I'll be your partner. I'll protect you and fight beside you, live my life by your side."

Tsume brought her fingertips to her lips, her breath hitching, unashamed of the tears coming to her eyes. For the past two years, her clan had simply been waiting for the day they went out to the kennels and found Suoh's kennel empty, despite his promise to Nikko to try and continue living without him. Tsume had her daughter and clan duties to keep her from falling too far into despair after the death of Kiba, but poor Suoh had nothing to pull him back. Until now. Tsume had been hopeful when she saw how much time they were spending together but hadn't dared let herself believe. And now...

"But - but why?" Nariko asked. "You're strong - the strongest! And I know that you miss your old partner. He was probably bold and outspoken the way he was supposed to be, so why me...?"

The dog growled, and quick as lightening nipped at the girl's arm, making her yelp and causing Shibi and Hiashi to tense next to her. "Don't underestimate yourself! Just because a few idiots can't see how brave, loyal, and dedicated you are doesn't mean you can stop seeing it in yourself. You said yourself that you don't believe in fighting comrades, and that's why you don't respond to the bullying. It has nothing to do with weakness. And yes, you're different from Nikko, but that's neither good nor bad. You aren't a replacement for him. You're you, and that's fine," he said gruffly, obviously embarrassed by his outburst.

"S-Suoh," she whispered, then flung herself forward and wrapped her arms around his large neck. "Of course I want you! I wished and wished that it would be you, but I thought..."

Suoh allowed himself to relax into her and rubbed his cheek against her hair. Even Hiashi seemed moved by the scene, and Shibi put a hand on Tsume's shoulder, seeming to understand the bittersweetness of the moment for her. In another life, it might have been her own son experiencing the joy of finding his partner.

000

Nariko hesitated at the gates of the compound, fingers fluttering to the brand new tattoos that adorned her cheeks, still slightly sore and buzzing with Suoh's chakra - a connection that allowed her to always be aware of his position and health, and he of hers. The bonding and subsequent party had been overwhelming, to say the least. Clan members who barely looked at her before smiled at her in the streets and the few boys who had thought it was fun to tease her avoided her large, overprotective partner as much as possible now.

She hadn't been to the academy for a week, but Tsume had put her foot down, insisting she was recovered from her adventure. So here she was, getting ready to leave the compound. How would the Academy children treat her now that she was a 'real' Inuzuka?

"Quit putting it off," Suoh rumbled from beside her, though he didn't look any happier about going to the Academy than she felt. After all, he'd already been through it once.

"Suoh, if you don't want to go..." he growled and snapped at her thigh in warning, and she yelped and hurried out of the gate, ignoring his chuckles and pulling her hat further down to protect her ears from the cold.

"Hey," a bored voice said from next to her, and she blinked in shock at the grumpy face of Nara Shikamaru, who was leaning against the wall next to the gate. He was dressed in his usual outfit but had added a large open green jacket and a pair of earmuffs. Nariko looked down at the ground as she remembered the last time they spoke, and fiddled with the fur lining of her purple parka.

"Hello, Shikamaru-kun," she said politely, ignoring Suoh's narrow-eyed look as the boy fell into step beside her, hands in his pockets and seeming unconcerned by the large dog and new tattoos. Of course, she could smell his nerves, but he didn't know that.

"I've been trying to catch up with you for a week, troublesome woman," he grumbled and jumped a little when Suoh growled from her other side. Nariko placed a tentative hand on his scruff, which came up to her chest, and turned her full attention to the boy next to her.

"Well, you found me," she said gently, hoping to calm him, and he nodded.

"I just wanted to apologize, for what I said," he muttered, looking away in embarrassment. "I was annoyed with Akira and his friends, but it's no excuse for snapping. I know you're an Inuzuka, and I don't think you're weak. You just don't like fighting," he grumbled.

Her eyes widened at his apology, and she felt a smile forming on her face. "Oh...it's okay," she said softly. "I understand. I'm sorry you got dirty trying to help me." he shrugged, and they were silent as they walked down the road, the only sound that of their crunching footsteps.

"It's not that I don't like to fight," she said suddenly, and he tilted her head towards her in question. Her cheeks reddened a bit, but she continued. "I actually do like it, just as much as any Inuzuka, it's just...my dad always said that you shouldn't fight your comrades in anger, or with the intent to hurt."

Shikamaru studied her for a moment before looking away with a hum. "I suppose I can see what he meant, though I don't know if he'd want you to let people push you around."

"What do you mean, people have been pushing you around," Suoh growled, and this time Shikamaru really did jerk in surprise at the realization Suoh could speak.

"Uh..." Nariko said, eyes widening. "Nothing, really...just kids being kids."

"It's not nothing." Shikamaru shifted uneasily when Suoh's amber eyes shifted to him at his statement.

"Tell me their names," the large dog growled and winced when Nariko bopped a gentle hand on his head.

"Stop trying to intimidate Shikamaru-kun!" she scolded and put her hands on her hips. "I told you the other kids weren't nice to me," she grumbled, cheeks red with shame. "But you're not allowed to hurt them."

"Well, he could just scare them a little," Shikamaru drawled, and raised his eyebrow at her appalled face. "After all, it's not good for them to think it's okay to bully - they'll get kicked out of the Academy at this rate. It's almost your duty as a comrade to teach them a lesson."

Silence, and then rumbling laughter came from Suoh. "Oh, I like your friend, Nariko. You should introduce us."

Nariko paused for a moment at the word friend, but when Shikamaru didn't say anything, she gave him a shy glance. "Ah, right, sorry, how rude of me. Shikamaru-kun, this is my ninken, Suoh. Suoh, this is Nara Shikamaru."

"Nice to meet you," Shikamaru said from where he was slumped next to her, now looking half asleep.

"Should have guessed the Nara part on my own," the dog said.

They had arrived at the Academy, and Shikamaru gave them a lazy wave and a muttered, "By the way, your clan markings look nice," before meandering off to find Chouji. Nariko knew she was bright red, and couldn't help but feel pleased at the compliment.

They were garnering stares and whispers from the other children as they threaded through them in an attempt to get to the doors, and Nariko had to stifle the urge to cover her new marks. Suoh leaned against her, and she felt the tension in his body as well. How hard must it be for him to return here, with all it's memories? Yet he was trying to comfort  _her_ , because she was afraid of a few classmates. At that, Nariko straightened her spine and lifted her chin in the air. If Suoh could show such bravery, than surely Nariko herself could, too.

They entered the mostly-full classroom, and were met with a surprised hush. "Ah, Nariko-chan," Dai-sensei said nervously after a moment. "I see you found your ninken."

"Yes, Dai-sensei," she said in a quiet voice. She liked him well enough - he always stopped the kids from bullying when he was around, and had been kind to her. "This is Suoh."

"Hello, Suoh-san, it's nice to meet you," she could read the curiosity on his face - after all, most children were paired with puppies for partners, and Suoh was obviously fully grown. He had told Nariko that he was ten years old after their heart-to-heart in the outpost. He had been paired with Nikko when the boy turned six and Suoh was only a few months old, which meant Nikko would have been fourteen when he died.

He already knew the clan jutsu, but would need to start from scratch with her, since it was different for every person. To not be fully in sync could result in torn muscles or lost limbs, or even death. Tsume had given them a solemn lecture on this after their bonding ceremony, and both had taken it seriously. The last thing either wanted was to cause the other pain.

As Nariko passed the girls who had been the worst of the perpetrators, they avoided her eyes, and she relaxed as she realized she wouldn't have any problems from that arena again, thanks to her new intimidating shadow. Tentatively, she took an aisle seat next to Hinata, who smiled at her.

"C-congratulations." she stuttered, and Nariko blinked in shock. Hinata had never tried to start a conversation with her before, though it was more out of shyness than pettiness, and she beamed at her.

"Thanks," she said quietly. "Um, Suoh, this is Hyuuga Hinata. Hinata-chan, this is Suoh."

He studied her for a moment, head cocked to the side. "Are you related to Hyuuga Hiashi?" he asked as gently as a two hundred pound canine could, and the girl jumped in shock when she realized he could talk. The rest of the class broke out into excited whispers at the sound of his voice, but the group ignored them.

"Oh! Um, y-yes. He is my father," she said, and Nariko had to give the girl credit for her scent not spiking in fear at Suoh.

"Your dad helped me out recently," Nariko said and Hinata gave her a sweet smile.

"Y-yes, he told me. H-he suggested that you and I m-might...t-that w-we c-could..." Hinata was looking down at her hands now, wringing them, and Nariko gently put hers over the top of them, taking pity on her.

"He was on the same genin team as my aunt Tsume. I guess the three of them are still considered one of the best tracking teams in the village," Nariko said. "Would you like to...come over and meet her? I bet Tsume-obasan has some fun stories she can tell you about your dad and Shibi-sama."

Hinata's wide eyes met her own, before ducking back down again. "I - alright," she whispered. Nariko grinned, and felt a weight lift from her chest that she hadn't realized was still there. For the first time since she came to Konoha, things were looking up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nariko makes some friends and Shikaku has a Very Troublesome Realization.

The next six months flew by. Tsume had started working on training Nariko and Suoh in earnest. Though Nariko was already well ahead on tracking and evasion training, thanks to her upbringing, she was woefully behind on taijutsu and the clan's cooperation ninjutsu. Suoh was a big help when it came to theory, but since he wasn't exactly a blank slate they were actually moving more slowly than most new partnerships, since he had to learn how to work with a new partner.

Hinata became a bit of a fixture at Nariko's house. Tsume liked to tell her embarrassing stories about her father as a child, and Hana, who hadn't warmed to Nariko, seemed to have relaxed around her a bit when Hinata was present as a buffer. Nariko didn't take it personally, however, since Hana always smelled of sorrow when she was around, probably because she was thinking of her lost brother.

Nariko enjoyed spending time with Hinata. She wasn't loud or full of energy, but she was one of the kindest people Nariko had ever met, and tended to always see the best in others. She also didn't flinch away at Suoh or the other large ninken, and had admitted it was due to knowing Kuromaru since she was very young. Nariko figured that once you were comfortable around the one-eyed, fierce partner of the Clan Head, it became easier to relax around the others.

The second year at the academy the classes were shuffled around as some children dropped out or were strongly encouraged to find a different calling. Nariko was pleasantly surprised to see that Shikamaru and Chouji were also in her class, and wrinkled her nose when she caught sight of Akira and his friends.

Akira had only approached her once after Suoh had become her partner. She'd left the ninken dozing under a tree in the cool spring air while she and Hinata went to use the bathroom. Akira and his friends had wasted no time in pushing her and Hinata to the ground and starting in on his usual taunts. Before he could say more than a few insults, however, Nariko was remembering Shikamaru's words. Was it really okay to let him push her and other comrades around?

Nariko stood, and stepped firmly in front of Hinata. "Akira-san," she said in a low growl, and he stepped back, surprised. "Why are you doing this? You say you want to be a Leaf Ninja, but you hurt and belittle the very people who will eventually fight by your side."

Akira's eyes narrowed. "I'm more of a Leaf Shinobi than a little weakling like  _you,"_ he said. "You think you're so tough now that you have a big  _dog_ following you around? Or maybe you think the Hyuuga crybaby can keep you safe?"

Nariko stared him down, not answering, and after a few moments he looked away. She scoffed, then turned her back on him to help Hinata up. "Come on, Hinata. Guys like this aren't worth our time." She felt the moment Akira moved to push her exposed back, but didn't flinch, already sensing her partner closing in. A growl, and then a scream, and when Nariko turned around it was to the sight of a snarling Suoh crouched over Akira, who was lying on his back and staring up at the ninken in fear.

"Nariko and Hinata are under my protection," he growled. "Don't think that just because I'm not in sight, I won't know if you hurt them. And remember - you can't hide from an Inuzuka ninken," he warned before stepping over Akira and heading to Nariko's side. They'd drawn the attention of a few girls from their class, and Nariko had known that news of the confrontation would spread by the end of the day.

It was a good thing in the end - now not only were people wary of messing with Nariko, but they stayed away from Hinata, as well. Nariko only gave Suoh a half-hearted scolding in the end, which he had blatantly ignored.

Nariko shook her head and focused back on the classroom, then swept past Akira, hesitating before motioning for Hinata to sit down by the window at the table in front of a sleeping Shikamaru and eating Chouji. She then grabbed the chair in the aisle seat and carried it down to the front of the classroom and placed it against the wall before returning and taking the middle seat. Suoh collapsed in the space she'd made next to her, half of his large bulk disappearing under the table.

Nariko had discovered that having him sit in the aisle while class was in session ended in her classmates unable to navigate the space, and so had taken to removing the outside chair of the tables so he could stretch out beside her. She hoped her new sensei wouldn't mind.

"Nariko-chan, you're in my class this year," a lazy voice said from behind her, and she turned and gave Shikamaru a small smile. They hadn't spoken much since the day he walked her to the Academy and apologized, since they hadn't been in the same class, but they'd been friendly enough when they saw each other.

"Hi, Shikamaru-kun. Um. Do you know Hinata-chan?" She introduced them, and he gave a lazy wave and a half-hearted introduction to Chouji before laying his head on his arms and going back to sleep.

000

For the first few months of the new term, not much changed, though Nariko noticed that Hinata seemed to have taken an interest in one of the boys in their class. He was loud, blonde, and never let anything get him down. The complete opposite of Hinata, really, who still had trouble talking without a stutter to new people or someone she wasn't comfortable with. Nariko watched with some sympathy as her friend tried and failed to start a conversation with the impatient blond over and over again, but wasn't sure what to do to help her.

Until she got a chance one Saturday when Nariko, Suoh, and Hinata were strolling through the market, on their way back from picking up some sweet buns before going to see the newest litter of Inuzuka puppies. An orange and yellow streak pulled their attention from their conversation as it blurred past them, laughing loudly.

"You'll never catch me, old man!" Naruto yelled as he darted down an alley.

Nariko looked back and her eyes widened when she saw a large black-haired man, face twisted in fury and wielding a bat, sprinting down the street. "I'll kill you, demon brat!" he screamed, and Nariko rocked back at the rage she could scent on him. She exchanged a panicked look with Hinata.

"That alley..." Hinata whispered, and Nariko groaned when she remembered the construction signs she had seen when they walked by earlier, stating that it was blocked off for rebuilding.

"Go get him - we'll meet you at the compound," Nariko said urgently, then turned to Suoh, who didn't even need to exchange words with her. Instead, he darted out into the street just as the man closed in, causing him to crash against the ninken's side and send them both careening to the ground.

Suoh let out a loud yelping noise and began to writhe around on the ground in fake agony as the bat-wielding man sat up looking dazed. Nariko kept her face straight as she ran to Suoh's side and knelt next to him, sobbing dramatically.

 _Ya won't always be able ta fight,_ Tsume's voice said in her mind as she remembered a lesson from last week.  _But that's okay. Yer sneaky, and yer smart - sometimes ya just need ta bullshit your way outta it._

"Suoh! You've killed him! You've killed my poor partner!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and turned her head to the sky. "No, not Suoh, anybody but Suoh!"

They were drawing a crowd, and the civilians were giving the black haired man dark glares. They were protective of their clans, and everybody knew how important a ninken partner was to their Inuzuka. The shinobi, however, knew that the canines were too tough to be taken out by a clumsy civilian, and just looked amused at the spectacle.

"Now, wait a minute," the man said, sweat-dropping and holding up a hand. "It was an accident..."

Suoh cut him off with another loud, dramatic yowl and Nariko, catching the glint of amusement in his eyes, had to hold back a laugh as she put her palms on either side of his face and looked into his eyes. "Suoh, stay with me!" she called. "Don't give in to the darkness!"

From the corner of her eyes, she saw an orange and purple blur edge past the crowd and take off, but the merchant never took his eyes off of the wailing partners in front of him. After a few more minutes, Suoh cut himself off and jumped to his feet.

"Suoh! You live!" she yelled happily, and he gave a chuffing laugh and crouched down a bit. With a salute to the crowd they'd gathered, she swung up on his back and clung to him as he took off down the road, dodging civilians as they made their way back to the Inuzuka compound.

When they reached the gates, where Naruto was standing next to a red-faced Hinata, Nariko slid off Suoh's back onto the ground, her cheeks hurting from her laughter. Suoh was still doing his odd chuff-laugh, and Naruto, who had been looking worried when they first arrived, pointed at them as his eyes got wide.

"You were faking it!" he yelled. "Hey, I thought Suoh-san was really hurt!" after a moment, his lips turned up into a smile, and he let out a loud laugh. Even Hinata was able to smile past her nervousness.

"But...why did you guys help me?" he finally asked as their laughter died down.

Nariko frowned as his scent soured, and exchanged a glance with Suoh. "Well," she drew out the word to buy time. "You're a classmate, aren't you? Which means you're our future comrade. And that guy looked like he really wanted to hurt you. So, of course, we helped you."

His big blue eyes widened. "You - you really think of me as your comrade?" he whispered, and Nariko gave him a gentle smile and a nod. He looked over to Hinata, who was still blushing but gave him a determined nod, meeting his eyes. Nariko's chest expanded with warmth - when it really counted, Hinata always came through, despite her crippling social anxiety.

"Why was he after you, anyway?" Nariko asked after an awkward moment of him staring at them like he couldn't believe they were real.

He grinned so wide his eyes squinted shut, and put both arms behind his head, leaving his elbows sticking out to each side. "Oh, I painted his shopfront orange!"

Hinata gasped, and Nariko raised an eyebrow at him. Now that she thought about it, he  _did_ smell an awful lot like paint. "Why in the world would you do that?"

"He's a jerk! He wouldn't sell me any meat," he said, and crossed his arms over his chest and looked away.

Nariko frowned in confusion, but before she could comment Naruto's stomach growled. "U-um, N-Naruto-kun. W-we have some, some, b-breakfast. W-would you l-like to share?" Hinata asked shyly, holding up the bag of buns. Nariko beamed a large smile at the girl for her boldness, and Naruto exclaimed in excitement.

"Right, and then you can come and see the new litter of puppies with us if you want," Nariko said, almost cackling in glee at the chance to help Hinata have an actual conversation with her crush.

Naruto shyly accepted some buns and chattered at them as they walked and ate. Nariko noticed some of the dark looks Naruto was getting from a few of the clan members they passed on the way, and the smell of fear coming from them, but couldn't figure out what the problem was. Sure, he seemed like a bit of a troublemaker, but he was hardly a threat.

Finally, they reached the kennels, and Hinata gasped in happiness at the sight of the wiggling pile of puppies making a valiant attempt to bulldoze their mother. Suoh stayed back a respectful distance since new mothers tended to get weird about other ninken coming too close, but she was fine with the children.

They sat on the ground cross-legged, and eventually, a few of the furry little puppies toddled over to sniff at them. Naruto's eyes were wide with wonder as he ran a gentle hand down the back of one of them, laughing when it wiggled in pleasure and plopped on his lap. Hinata giggled as one latched onto her sleeve and began tugging on it, making tiny growling noises and whipping his head back and forth.

Nariko waved her fingers at two puppies who had come over to investigate her scent, and they nipped at her fingers before one of them tripped over the other and they both went sprawling.

"You shouldn't be here," a sharp voice said, and Nariko looked over, frowning. She'd smelled Megu, an older woman and member of the clan that still hadn't warmed to Nariko, approaching but hadn't really thought much of it. The woman's hair was pulled back into a loose braid, and her ninken sat at her feet, baring his teeth at them. It was an unforgivably aggressive thing to do to children - especially two non-clan children.

Naruto and Hinata both hunched in on themselves, and Nariko scowled. "Tsume-obasan said I could bring my friends to see the puppies now that they're old enough," she said and flipped her long hair behind her shoulder. "Take it up with her if you got a problem with it."

Megu took a step forward, and Suoh stood from where he'd been laying on the ground. The mother of the pups, Ai, named for the deep blue color of her coat, stepped in front of them and let out a low warning grumble. Before things could escalate, Tsume's voice spoke up from behind her.

"I heard my name," she said in her rough, serious voice. "There a reason you're tryin' ta intimidate my niece and 'er friends, Megu-san?" Hinata and Nariko immediately relaxed, though Naruto was still tense.

Megu scowled. "I was just saying that it's dangerous to let that...that  _thing_ play with the pups."

Nariko jolted in shock when she realized Megu was talking about  _Naruto_ of all people, who was now hunched in on himself, ignoring the plaintiff whining of the puppy still in his lap.

"Hey," Nariko said sharply, standing. "Don't talk about my friends that way."

Tsume put her hand on Nariko's shoulder, and she took a deep breath and shut her mouth, trusting her aunt to handle the situation. "Way I see it, it's up to the Clan Head to decide who can and can't have access to the kennels. An' I say he can."

Megu's face turned red, and her mouth opened to reply. "Careful, there, girly. Ya really wanna do this?" Tsume said, and Kuromaru shifted next to her.

Megu looked down and away, baring her throat. "No, Tsume-sama," she said.

"Good, then I suggest ya' go to the administration building and find yerself a nice, long mission to take on. Ya hear?" The woman, face red and pointed downwards, nodded, then turned on her heel, her ninken a silent cowed shadow at her side.

Tsume sighed, then turned to look at them. "I'm sorry 'bout that. Yer welcome to stay with the puppies as long as their mother's willing."

Ai let out a sharp bark and both Tsume and Nariko snorted. At Hinata's questioning look, Nariko grinned. "She says that Megu and her partner are the only ones she wanted to see the back end of."

Naruto looked up tentatively from under his bangs. "You can understand them even when they don't talk?"

"Aa, it's part of bein' an Inuzuka," Nariko said with a shrug. "I actually haven't met any ninken that can talk outside of Kuromaru-san and Suoh. Ah, that reminds me. Naruto, this is my aunt, Tsume-obasan, she's the Inuzuka Clan Head, and that's her partner Kuromaru-san. This is Uzumaki Naruto, he's in my class."

Tsume gave what was a gentle smile for her, and Nariko once again felt like she was missing something. "Well, Naruto-kun, any friend of Riko-chan is welcome. Tell ya what, I'll go in and make a nice lunch while you all finish up here. Come on in whenever you're ready, then after that, you three can help me walk some a' the older dogs."

Naruto's eyes had widened. "You mean - me, too? You want me to help?"

Tsume's scent shifted, and Nariko almost grimaced at the sorrow. "Yeah, kid, you too. You're welcome anytime."

That wasn't the last time somebody treated Naruto with disdain, though Suoh's growls tended to drive off most people, and finally, Nariko gave in and asked him why he was treated that way about six months into their friendship. They were sitting under a tree at the park, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather, and a parent had just dragged off a civilian child that had been playing tag with them earlier. He was silent for a long moment, his blue eyes sad, and she was about to take the question back when he answered.

"I don't know," he said with a shrug, and she couldn't smell a lie. "It's just always been that way. Everybody just hates me." Nariko and Hinata shared a look, and she tipped her chin to let Hinata know she should take over.

"W-well we don't c-care what they think. W-we like you, and you're our f-f-friend." She had gotten better at talking to Naruto the past six months, but this topic was bound to make her nervous.

"That's right!" Nariko said. "And the next villager that's mean to you...we'll prank!"

Suoh huffed from his spot on the ground but didn't argue. Nariko had discovered that her partner actually enjoyed the occasional bit of mischief. Naruto's eyes widened and then sparkled. "You - you really mean it?"

"Y-yes," Hinata said, voice firm despite the stuttering.

And that's how they found themselves darting down the street two weeks later, Suoh's tail tipped in red paint, laughing their heads off after painting 'Junko-sensei is a pervert' in the chunin lounge of the administration building.

000

Four months later, partway into their third year at the academy, Akira and his friends tricked Naruto into going out into the woods where enemy ninja had infiltrated. Nariko had assumed that he was just skipping class until Shikamaru had darted into the classroom and told Iruka-sensei where he thought he had gone, and why.

Only Suoh latching onto her t-shirt kept her from running out after the chunin to find her friend. "No, you'll only get in the way," he said firmly, and she gritted her teeth.

That day was the first time she ever hit a citizen of Konoha in anger. Akira was snickering in the corner, loudly naming off all the things that could have happened to Naruto before Iruka got to him, and her vision went red.

The next thing she knew, she was being tugged off a bleeding and red-faced Akira by the Hokage himself. "Naruto is ten times the person you'll ever be!" she yelled at him before her brain caught up with the situation and she realized who was holding the back of her shirt. Behind the Hokage stood a wide-eyed Naruto and exhausted Iruka-sensei.

After a moment of shock, her actions caught up to her, and shame suffused her body. She stepped away from the Hokage, and he let her go, before dropping to her knees and bowing low, forehead touching the back of her hands which were lying flat on the floor in front of her.

"Hokage-sama," she whispered. "I apologize for conduct that is unbecoming of a shinobi. I'll accept any punishment you deem appropriate." The classroom was dead silent for a moment, and then Naruto was yelling.

"What! Why should you get a punishment?! That guy deserved it!"

"Enough, Naruto," the Hokage said in a calm voice, and with a rustle of cloth, the man was crouched down at her level.

Nariko's eyes widened, and she sat up on her knees. "Hokage-sama, what -"

"Tell me, child, what it is you think you need to be punished for." His gaze was piercing, but his voice was kind, and she looked down and to the side.

"I attacked a future comrade, with the intent to hurt," she whispered. "Outside of spars or competitions, that's - it's wrong."

"Troublesome. He's no comrade of ours," a voice drawled, and Nariko looked over at Shikamaru. His hands were tucked in his pockets, and he was leaning against a desk, slouched over, but his eyes were sharp and his face was hard. "Somebody like that doesn't deserve to call you or Naruto a comrade, not when all he ever does is try to hurt people that he should be watching out for."

The Hokage hummed and stood, then reached a hand down to Nariko. Stunned, she took it and let him help her to her feet. Hinata and Suoh both moved to flank her, though Iruka's hand on his shoulder kept Naruto where he was. "Well said, Shikamaru-kun. It is not often that an Inuzuka loses themselves, but when they do, it is almost always in defense of a loved one." he turned his gaze to the now-cowering Akira and his two friends. "You would do well to remember that in the future. I think," he said, turning to sweep a gaze around the room, "That you and your friends would do better in a different profession, hm? Disloyalty and cruelty are not good traits in a shinobi."

He turned away from the shamed-face Akira and put his hand on Nariko's shoulder. She looked up at him, wide-eyed, and he gave a gentle smile. "There are times when it is better to step back, and times when it is better to fight. These do not always follow hard and fast rules in the shinobi world. You must decide what the right action to take is. Do not be hard on yourself for loving your friend and wanting to keep him safe."

At that, he turned and swept from the room, leaving Nariko staring blankly at the wall. The Hokage had just given her a lot to think about. She was brought out of her shock by an enthusiastic hug from Naruto, who seemed completely overwhelmed by her defense of him.

"Oh man, you looked so cool, Nariko-chan! I didn't know you could be that scary. And Hinata-chan was amazing, too!" Nariko blinked and had a hazy memory of Hinata stepping between her and Akira's friends when they would have jumped in and sending one of them flying with her rudimentary Gentle Fist technique while Suoh kept the other one at bay with a simple growl and look.

"Aa, you were really cool Hinata-chan," she said and grinned when the girl stuttered and blushed. At least she'd stopped passing out when Naruto complimented her. That had been awkward.

That day marked a change in their friendship. Naruto no longer doubted their feelings for him - something he'd been struggling with since the beginning. Hinata was also more sure of herself and her place in their group, and Nariko and Suoh seemed to instinctively accept them as a pack, somebody that would watch their backs no matter what. It was...nice.

It also marked the beginning of her epic, embarrassing crush on the laziest boy in class. As she watched him sleep under the tree from the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but think words like  _adorable_ and  _cute_. He'd come to her defense twice now and had also figured out Akira's plot to get Naruto hurt or worse, and put a stop to it. He never acted arrogantly like some of the other boys and was pretty relaxing to be around.

Suoh, of course, knew exactly what was going on, considering he could smell her nervousness and hear her heartbeat whenever Shikamaru was close, but she managed to keep it under wraps for the most part. Unfortunately (or fortunately? She couldn't decide), Naruto had started tentatively hanging out with the boy after he realized that Shikamaru didn't hate him. They skipped class a few days a week together, and Hinata, Naruto, Nariko, and Suoh had even taken to eating lunch with them sometimes.

"Hey, Riko-chan, Hinata-chan, we're going to get ramen and skip class. Wanna come?" Naruto asked, jumping up and down in excitement.

Nariko raised an eyebrow at him. "No way, you remember what happened last time Hinata-chan and I skipped. Our parents totally ganged up on us. Tsume-obasan made us clean out the kennels and Hiashi-sama made us run  _so many laps_." Nariko also knew that Hiashi had given Hinata one of his stern lectures that resulted in Hinata barely speaking for three days. Naruto faltered as he remembered that part, too, then sighed.

"Man, you two are such goody-two-shoes," he grumbled. "I guess I'll just have to bring you back some dango." Hinata brightened from where she'd been staring at the ground next to her, and Nariko gasped in indignation.

"I am  _not_ a goody-two-shoes! I just don't want to face the wrath of my crazy aunt," she muttered, and Naruto grinned mischievously.

"Oh, so you're just a scaredy-cat, hm?" he said.

"I'll show you scaredy-cat," she grumbled and launched herself at him. They wrestled around on the grass, Nariko grinning fiercely as she pinned him and dug her fingers into his side, making him quake with laughter until he finally flipped her on her stomach and returned the favor.

With a gasp, she sent her elbow into his stomach and cackled at his  _oomph_ , but he didn't let up, and she shrieked as he continued to tickle her.

One of Nariko's favorite things about her relationship with Naruto was how  _playful_ he was. Her father used to wrestle with her all the time, but she'd never really gotten close to anybody in the Inuzuka clan outside of Tsume and, to a lesser extent, Hana. So she missed the roughhousing that was just a part of the Inuzuka make-up.

"Are you two almost done? We're going to miss our chance to leave, and then we'll have to stay in class all afternoon," an annoyed voice said from next to them, and Naruto huffed but rolled off of her. Nariko still had a big grin on her face as she flopped over onto her back, breathless, but it faded when she caught sight of Shikamaru's annoyed expression. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and he was glaring off to the side.

Nariko looked down, feeling guilty for distracting Naruto, who was bouncing around the Nara. "Sorry, Shikamaru-kun," she muttered. "Have fun."

She turned and stalked over to where Hinata was sitting and ignored her knowing look. Okay, so maybe somebody other than Suoh had recognized her crush.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it the way it sounded," Hinata said gently as the three boys trudged off to get their illicit ramen.

Nariko shrugged and tapped the side of her nose as she leaned back against a grumbling Suoh. "I can smell it, remember? He was annoyed. Guess it's not surprising - the Inuzuka are pretty much the opposite of the Nara, and he's always saying women are too loud and troublesome..." she wrinkled her nose. "Anyway, what do you want to do after school today? Tsume-obasan is out on a mission, so other than keeping up with our endurance and speed training, Suoh and I are free."

"Um, father is busy this afternoon, so I could go with you? He said that I was getting faster, and I think it's from training with you..." Nariko gave her a small smile, knowing how few and far between compliments from Hiashi for his oldest daughter were. Her kind heart, shy demeanor, and discomfort with fighting did not make her a good future clan heir in the eyes of the Hyuuga elders. Nariko thought they were shortsighted, but she knew nobody cared about her opinion on the matter.

After class ended, Naruto was waiting with a box of what Nariko assumed was the promised dango, and to her surprise, Shikamaru and Chouji were still with him. Eyes on the ground, still feeling stung by Shikamaru's attitude, she followed Hinata to where she was accepting the box with a soft smile and minimal stuttering.

"Here," Shikamaru said, and Nariko blinked when another box entered her vision. She raised her eyes to the boy, who was looking off to the side with a blush on his face, holding out the sweets towards her.

"Oh, um." She tentatively took it from him. "Thank you," she said and knew her cheeks were red, too.

"Shikamaru insisted on buying yours for you, Nariko-chan. Guess he felt bad that you couldn't come with us!" Naruto said, oblivious to the glare Shikamaru sent his way. "You want to come cloud watchin' with us?" he asked. Hinata hesitated and looked over at her, and Nariko shrugged.

"Sure. We have to do my endurance training at some point, but we can hang out for a while." They made their way towards the hill, and Nariko hesitated for a moment before opening the box with a slightly obscene amount of dango in it. She picked one up - her favorite, kuri dango.

"I thought Suoh-san might want some," Shikamaru said, and she beamed at him. He never forgot to include her partner in their plans, which was...really sweet of him, actually.

"How much did it cost? I can..." he gave his head a sharp shake and looked off to the side.

"Don't worry about it," he mumbled and turned to talk to Chouji, who was working his way through his own box of dango.

Nariko blinked at him, then shrugged and brought the stick of dango in her hand down to a chuffing Suoh. Instead of telling her what he found so funny, he carefully pulled all three sweet balls from the stick, chewing happily. She just rolled her eyes and grabbed her own stick, humming in pleasure at the taste. Feeling eyes on her, she glanced over and saw Shikamaru was watching her with a satisfied air, though he quickly looked away when he saw her watching.

When they got to the hill, Nariko and Suoh flopped down next to Shikamaru, with Nariko using her partner's stomach as a pillow. After a yawn, she closed her eyes, enjoying the fall sun on her face and gentle breathing of Suoh under her head. She could hear Naruto and Hinata having a soft conversation with Chouji about BBQ, and Shikamaru's quiet breathing a few feet from her.

After a few minutes, she sat up and pulled the sweater she was knitting for Hana out of her bag along with some yarn and knitting needles, resting her back against her partner. Hinata eventually left the conversation between Naruto and Chouji and laid down with her head on Nariko's thigh, and was dozing lightly. The soft clicks of her knitting needles were soothing, and after several minutes Shikamaru spoke.

"You're good at that," he said, and she glanced over at him where he was lying on the ground, eyes half open and head turned towards her.

"My father taught me," she said after a moment and quirked her lip up at him when he raised an eyebrow. "My clan tends to have a lot of extra energy. He always said this is a good way to keep our hands busy while our minds rest. Also, he really likes knitted things," she said and grinned when he chuckled. 

"His ninken are easily recognizable because they're always wearing something knitted. Suoh refused to wear anything I make, though," she said with a pout, and the big dog huffed out an annoyed breath from behind her.

"I told you, a ninken doesn't wear  _knitted hats,_ even if Kuromaru's idiot brothers think it looks cool," he grumbled, and she giggled.

"Well, that's fine, I'll just be giving them all those hats and sweaters I made for you the next time dad visits," she said, and she grinned as her partner went quiet behind her for a few moments.

"Maybe I'll keep them for the really cold days," Suoh muttered, and Shikamaru's shoulders shook with laughter at her smug face.

Eventually, she shook Hinata awake so they could go do their exercises, ignoring Naruto's complaining. "You know Tsume-obasan'll run me into the ground if she thinks I didn't keep up with my training."

"Sounds troublesome," Shikamaru said with a yawn, and she flashed him a grin.

Naruto had sighed but agreed to go with them, and they had turned to leave when Shikamaru spoke up, stopping them. "My birthday is next week," he said, and Nariko raised her eyebrow when she realized he smelled nervous. "You three are invited if you want to come."

Nariko bit her lip to keep a smile from breaking over her face. "Sure, just let me know the time and I'll let Tsume-obasan know."

"It's next Friday night, at the Akimichi BBQ place. Your aunt and Hinata's dad can come too if they want - the parents have their own table." he looked unconcerned, but she could tell he was pleased.  _Cute,_ she thought and turned with a wave before her blush became apparent.

Tsume, of course, decided that she would attend the party with Hinata and Nariko. Hiashi was unwillingly dragged along, though how somebody could look so regal while being browbeaten by Inuzuka Tsume, Nariko would never know. Naruto was also coming along with them, looking nervous and clutching the gift he'd gotten Shikamaru to his chest. Hinata had somehow convinced him not to buy the heir to the Nara clan instant ramen, and had instead helped him pick out an adorable little mini-Shogi board that folded down to pocket size.

Nariko tapped her fingers nervously against her own package, wrapped in bright purple paper with little cartoon dogs wearing party hats printed on the front that Tsume had thought was hilarious.

Hana had convinced Nariko to exchange her usual spandex shorts and t-shirt combo for a green skirt that swished around her knees and a long-sleeved brown shirt. Her legs were covered by white tights and brown, soft boots that went up to mid-calf completing the outfit. She'd kept her hair down except for braiding it back in the front, though Hana had spent extra time brushing it and putting in some oils to tame the curls a bit. Between that and the gift she'd made, she was feeling a little ridiculous, and only Tsume's firm hand on her shoulder kept her from turning right back around.

000

Shikaku watched his son do his utmost to ignore a scolding Ino from his spot against the wall, chuckling along with Inoichi at their antics.

"The apple sure didn't fall far from the tree with that one," Shikaku said with a grin, and Inoichi rolled his eyes.

"If you Naras were less lazy, we wouldn't have to nag you all the time," he said good-naturedly.

"Hmm, well if you Yamanakas weren't -" he drifted off and lifted an eyebrow as he saw Shikamaru, who had been sending surreptitious looks towards the door all night, stiffen next to Ino who was still chattering at him as they slowly walked towards the snack table.

Shikaku followed his gaze and blinked once as he saw what had caught his son's attention. A girl, turned so that Shikaku could only see the gentle curve of her nose and the tumble of reddish-brown curls falling down her back, had just entered the restaurant. She was removing her coat and handing it to Yoshino, who was cooing down at her, and Shikaku gave a short bark of laughter when Shikamaru tripped over his own feet when she revealed her cute skirt and top - in the Nara colors no less.

"Oh my god," Inoichi breathed next to him, having seen his usually unaffected son almost literally fall over himself over a girl as well. And then the girl turned, and Inoichi burst into obnoxious laughter as the clan tattoos were revealed on her adorable cheeks.

At that point, Shikamaru had turned to make a beeline to the girl while Yoshino reached out to pet her soft-looking curls as she smiled and said something to  _Tsume_ , the head of the loudest Clan in Konoha.

"An Inuzuka," Inoichi gasped next to him, quietly enough that even Tsume's ears wouldn't pick it up. "Oh, that is  _classic_. Leave it up to your son to choose a wife from the clan that's too stubborn to fall for your manipulations. And Tsume's niece, no less!"

"How do you know that's her niece?" Shikaku grumbled as he took a swig of sake, which he then proceeded to choke on as a huge ninken stepped up next to the girl. He was probably two hundred pounds, and incredibly intimidating. By the way she put a hand on his neck and leaned into him, it was obvious he was her partner.

"Fully grown ninken, calm demeanor for an Inuzuka, and here with Tsume-san? I'd say it's pretty obvious," Inoichi drawled.

"We don't know that it'll go anywhere," he said a little desperately as his son slouched up to her and groaned as Inoichi took off towards them, but gave into the inevitable and followed.

Both of the children had red cheeks when Shikaku arrived, and the girl was smiling shyly as she held out Shikamaru's gift. "Happy Birthday Shikamaru-kun," she said, and Shikaku noted that she lacked the slightly gravelly voice that most Inuzuka had. Her features were more delicate than Tsume's, though there were still similarities in the slope of her eyebrows and chin.

"Oh, I'll take that over to the gift table, dear," Yoshino said with a kind smile, and Shikamaru looked a little put out that he would have to wait to see what she'd gotten him.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Inoichi asked a little too eagerly, and Shikamaru shot him a suspicious look, but acquiesced. Apparently, the name of his son's crush was Nariko. His son was gazing softly at an Inuzuka girl named  _Thunder,_ this situation was going to be so troublesome.

"You guys hungry?" Shikamaru asked in his best unconcerned voice, face carefully bored.

Instead of looking annoyed or offended like most people would at the  _I don't care_ his son was putting off, the girl gave a sharp grin that showcased her sharp incisors and nodded with enthusiasm. "Suoh and I could eat a horse!" she said. She had put one hand on her hip, and her posture was suddenly all Inuzuka, with her feet planted firmly shoulder length apart and her back straight, chin up, Shikaku clearly saw the resemblance to Tsume and Tsuneo. The girl may be quieter and more delicate looking than most of her clan, but she was an Inuzuka at heart.

Shikamaru's lips quirked up on one side, obviously charmed, and he turned to lead them away. Nariko and the Hyuuga girl followed, and Shikaku did a double take when he saw that Uzumaki Naruto was also with them, wide-eyed and uncharacteristically nervous. A few people were giving him wary looks, but since it was obvious he was with the Nara heir, nobody said anything.

Shikaku drained a cup of sake as he watched his son take half a tray of beef from under the nose of a bemused Akimichi and set it down out of the way for Suoh, then pile a plate high with food and hand it to a blushing Nariko.

"So, I guess your clan is going to insist on one a' those traditional weddings," Tsume said from where she'd snuck up next to him, and  _cackled._ Inoichi did one of his not-giggles (as he always insisted that it was a chuckle, but really, they were giggles), and Shikaku hung his head with a sigh before glancing over at the head of the Inuzuka clan, who was watching her niece and Shikamaru with a fond smile.

"They're only twelve, let's not get ahead of ourselves," he grumbled. The three of them looked over to the children, where Nariko was smiling down at her plate of food shyly while Shikamaru glared away one of his older cousins when he looked a little too interested in the girl.

Shikaku sighed. "Their kids will need to take on the Nara name since he'll be clan head."

Tsume shrugged. "Just as long as ya don't try'n pretend they ain't still got Inuzuka in 'em."

"Well, I don't see why they can't learn the Nara techniques and have a ninken partner if they want one," Shikaku said easily.

"I do wonder how that medical research o' yours would work with our clan's healing techniques," Tsume noted, and Shikaku hummed.

"Those military pills your clan use for your combination techniques are pretty interesting," he replied.

They made eye contact for a minute, studying each other until Tsume broke the silence with a laugh and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Good talk, Nara," she said before wandering off to torture Hiashi. Shikaku leaned against the wall and looked mournfully at his empty cup while Inoichi stared at him, mouth opening and closing without making a sound.

Finally, he blurted out in a scandalized voice, "Did you just work out the details of your son's future marriage in five minutes?"

Shikaku shrugged. "The Inuzuka aren't too tough as long as you're fair," he grumbled. "I'm surprised we haven't thought of it before - they have surprisingly advanced military pills that they use in combination techniques, and produce a lot of good medics. If we did some joint projects..."

Inoichi continued to gape at him, and he groaned. "What?"

"You just...you're really okay with letting a Nara learn Inuzuka techniques?" he hissed.

"Well, the Inuzuka clan's specialties are more than techniques, they're part of who they are. It'd be cruel not to," he grumbled.

"But...divided loyalties!" Inoichi spluttered.

Shikaku shrugged. "We don't worry about it with the Yamanaka and Akimichi when we intermarry. It'll be fine, Inoichi." It'd have to be - after all, he was hardly going to make his son choose between his clan and the girl he loved. He was a Nara man, after all, and they tended to be stubborn about things like love once they'd made up their minds.

His friend huffed out a breath but didn't comment, instead watching as Shikamaru started opening his presents. When he got to Nariko's, he looked inordinately pleased to be getting a brown and green striped scarf with a matching headband and mittens.

"Chouza is going to be so sad he missed this," Inoichi said with a wicked smile. "Naras are hilarious when they're infatuated. So cool and composed up until that moment, then you become ridiculous."

Shikaku scowled. "We're not that bad."

Inoichi snorted. "The first time you noticed Yoshino, you fell off the outer wall and broke your arm."

"There was a  _crack in the foundation_ and I had a concussion at the time!" Shikaku slouched down into a pout as Inoichi not-giggled.

"You spent every day for two weeks leaning against walls smoking and trying to look cool in her general vicinity."

"Coincidence. And I wasn't  _looking_ cool, I was just cool."

"When that didn't work, you wrote her poetry. When she turned you down for a date you spent a week staring mournfully into the distance at every opportunity."

"Why are we friends," Shikaku grumbled before leaving Inoichi behind for the alcohol table.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Graduation and team assignments.

The rest of the winter was spent working on her clan techniques and hanging out with Naruto, Hinata, and sometimes Shikamaru and Chouji. The Nara had taken to wearing the scarf, headband, and mittens she'd knitted for him almost every day until it got too warm, and she couldn't help the instinctual spike of possessiveness she felt every time she saw him in them.

 _He's wearing them because they're warm, not because he likes you back,_ she had to tell herself firmly. Of course, the bracelet she wore every day that he had given her on her birthday two months after his own she did wear as some sort of declaration, if only to herself.

It was a thoughtful gift - leather, so that it wouldn't make any extra noise or let off identifying scents, and it had the Inuzuka symbol stamped into the front, and her name in pretty calligraphy on the inside of her wrist, along with a privacy seal that laid against her skin on the soft inner layer that she could feed chakra into if she needed to have a conversation that wouldn't be overheard. The Inuzuka crest, she knew, was his way of telling her again that he thought she belonged.

It was probably incredibly expensive along with being well thought out, a reminder that he was the  _heir_ to his clan. There was no way he'd be allowed to choose an Inuzuka, especially one that didn't really hold an important part in the clan, other than being the niece of the head.

Suoh and Nariko had finally found their groove in December, and had started to move through perfecting the Inuzuka Combination Jutsus slowly but surely. They'd completed Beast Human Clone, Dynamic Marking, and Nariko had picked up the Four Legged Technique easily enough, and enjoyed the way it felt to dig her claws into the earth as she raced around the training grounds with her transformed partner. They were working on Fang Passing Fang and Fang Rotating Fang, and once they had that down, they'd start on the combination transformation, where they'd actually become a single gigantic two headed wolf.

This would take more time to learn than the others combined, and was dangerous for both partners if they weren't perfectly in sync. Once they got it down, though, they'd be able to move onto the higher level clan techniques. Nariko had a feeling that her aunt had expected her to pick it up a little more quickly than she had, if only because of her experienced partner, but she never said anything disparaging as long as both Nariko and Suoh worked hard.

Now, Suoh and Nariko stood on the academy steps, scanning the crowd for her aunt and cousin. Her new hitai-ate felt heavy on her forehead, and she couldn't stop smiling. Eventually, she spotted Hinata and her father standing to the side, not talking, though she thought that Hiashi looked at least a bit proud? It was hard to tell - only Tsume could read his moods.

Somebody shuffled up next to her, and she turned to Shikamaru, who was smirking at her, his own hitai-ate tied onto his arm. "Congratulations," he muttered, and she smiled at him.

"You too," she said, then impulsively leaned forward to give him a quick hug. He stiffened, and she was about to pull back when he brought up his own arms to return the hug. Her heart leaped a bit, and she leaned into him.

"So it's true. Absentee parenting does lead to boyfriends." Nariko's eyes widened, and she pulled back and spun around. Standing at the bottom of the steps, wearing his usual thick cream tunic and rough brown pants, knitted bands in red on each wrist, brown hair a mess, was her father. He was flanked on either side by two large dark grey wolf-like ninken wearing red knitted bandanas with the Inuzuka clan symbol in white on the back.

"Dad!" she yelled, and launched herself off the steps. He caught her with a soft laugh, and spun her around in a circle.

"Ah, baby, you've grown!" he set her down, and put his hands on her shoulders, running his eyes over her, grin widening to reveal his sharp canines when he took in her hitai-ate.

"Gorgeous as ever, just like your mom," he said, and she returned his grin. Her attention was taken by two wriggling, whining ninken, and she laughed.

"Jin, Hao, you're acting like those little princess dogs with all the jumping and yapping!" she said as she turned to them, and let out a delighted yelp as they knocked her over and flopped on top of her, shoving their noses into her neck and armpit and making her shriek with laughter.

"I thought I smelled an idiot over here," Tsume said, and Jin and Hao left Nariko and launched themselves at Kuromaru, who grumbled but let them pull him into a tumbling wrestling match that shook the ground around them and forced wary parents to pull their children to a different section of the Academy grounds. Tsuneo and Tsume engaged in a backslapping hug, and Nariko couldn't help but beam up at them as Shikamaru helped her to her feet, looking amused at the enthusiastic greeting her father's ninken had given her.

"Maybe we should move this reunion to the other side of the lawn, so that other parents can get to their kids," a drawling voice said, and Tsuneo pulled back from his sister to give Shikaku, who had wandered up with his hands in his pockets, a bright grin.

"Well look who it is! I'd thought for sure by now that you'd have laid down somewhere to nap for so long that the grass started to grow over the top of ya, and birds would be makin' nests in your hair. How are ya, you great lazy lump?" Tsuneo said, and his smile was fond as he reached out to squeeze his shoulder.

Shikaku sighed, and slumped next to his wife, who was laughing behind her hand. Nariko bit her lip and looked over at Shikamaru, who was studying her father with a quirked eyebrow. Apparently he hadn't realized their fathers knew each other, either. Shikaku eventually succeeded in herding them over to the side, and Nariko found herself next to her father, his arm slung around her shoulders as he loudly proclaimed her to be the smartest Inuzuka in the world. Suoh chuffed with laughter at her bright red cheeks.

"So, ya gonna introduce me to your boyfriend, then?" Tsuneo said cheerfully, and Nariko glared up at him as Jin and Hao went silent and narrowed their focus onto Shikamaru.

"Dad," she groaned, but knew better than to actually give him any more fodder by denying it. "This is my friend, Nara Shikamaru. Shikamaru, this is my dad, Inuzuka Tsuneo."

"You're Shikaku's boy, hm? Guess that means you're probably okay, then," he said in his easy way, and Tsume snorted. Shikamaru was saved from having to answer when Hinata came over, and waved shyly at Tsuneo.

"H-hello Tsuneo-san. It's nice to see you again," she said softly, and he gave her a gentle smile.

"It's very nice to see you again, too, Hinata-chan. I owe you a thank you - Riko-chan's been telling me how good of a friend you are when she writes. I was worried about leavin' her here without me, but ya'll have been helping my sister take good care of her." Hinata had met Nariko's father the one other time he'd visited, about six months after they'd become friends. He'd taken an instant liking to the girl - like Nariko he found her presence soothing and her loyalty admirable.

"O-oh! Y-you're welcome, Tsuneo-san. I am very grateful to have Nariko-chan as my friend."

"Why don't you join us for our celebration dinner?" Shikaku said around a yawn.

"Well, with an enthusiastic invitation like that, how could we resist?" Tsuneo replied dryly.

"You're welcome, too, Hiashi-san, Hinata-chan," Yoshino added.

Hiashi opened his mouth, probably to decline, but Tsume clapped him on the back before he could speak. "They'll be joinin' us, as well!" she announced. "Go find that orange friend a' yours, then meet us at the restaurant."

Nariko bit her lip and looked at her dad. She didn't want to leave his side, not yet, but she didn't want to leave Naruto behind, either. A hand on her arm had her looking over her shoulder at Shikamaru. "It's troublesome, but I'll stay with Hinata and grab Naruto, and you go with your dad." Her eyes widened, and then she smiled at him. Without thinking too hard about it, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, then bounded over to her father, who had watched their interaction with narrowed eyes.

She leaped into Tsuneo's arms, and he made a fuss about how heavy she was but swung her onto his back with a soft smile. Nariko was so absorbed in her father that she didn't notice that Shikamaru's eyes had gone wide, or that he had turned a bright tomato red. Ignoring his dad's smirk, Yoshino's squeals, and Tsume's cackling laughter, he grabbed Hinata and dragged her into the crowd.

000

"How do you know Shikaku-sama, dad?" she asked curiously from her perch on his back.

"Ah, I worked intelligence with him, and was part of his unit more often than not in the war," Tsuneo replied. "Those Nara men are lazy and seem apathetic, but in the end they're good to have on your side."

Shikaku sighed from where he was walking next to them, hands in his pockets, his wife on his other side. Tsume was walking close enough to her brother that their arms brushed as they walked, obviously happy to have him home. "Maa, you make me sound so uncool, Tsuneo," he grumbled, and Nariko giggled. She hadn't spent much time with Shikamaru's family, but so far his mother had been kind (even if she spent a lot of time cooing at her) and Shikaku was laid back and pretty funny.

Though she wasn't stupid enough to think he wasn't a damn terrifying ninja when he wanted to be. It was the same with her good natured father, though his two large partners made up for his laid back personality a bit.

"How long are you here for, dad?" she asked, shoving her face into his neck and inhaling. She'd missed him, and his scent still meant home to her, even after four years of separation.

"I thought I'd stick around for a month or so, as long as the Hokage doesn't need to send me back out before then," he said easily, and she gasped in surprise at the length of time before wrapping her arms around him a tight embrace.

"Really? A whole month?" He wheezed, and she loosened her hold on his neck sheepishly while Shikaku chuckled and Yoshino smiled softly at her.

"Aa. I thought I could take over your training, make sure you haven't fallen behind in your stealth and evasion." Tsume growled at the implication that her training regime was anything less than perfect, and Nariko laid her head on Tsuneo's shoulder with a small smile and listened to their bickering fondly, joy at the thought of a  _whole month_ with her father warming her more than even receiving her headband had.

They'd been at their table, which also had the Yamanaka and Akimichi families, for about half an hour when Hinata and Shikamaru arrived. "What's wrong?" Nariko asked as she saw their expressions.

"Naruto...he didn't pass," Hinata said in a small voice. Nariko swore, ignoring the raised eyebrows of some of the adults, and stood quickly. She knew how much it meant to Naruto to become a ninja, and this would mark the third time he'd failed the test.

"Let's go find him -" Hinata shook her head, and Nariko paused.

"Iruka-sensei said he would go and talk to him, and that we should give him some space and go see him tomorrow."

Nariko growled, and tossed her hair back behind her shoulders. "No way are we giving him space! He needs his friends..."

"He's probably embarrassed and will need some time to calm down. It's a drag, but we should wait until Iruka-sensei has a chance to talk to him, and go find him after dinner," Shikamaru said from where he'd edged up next to her. Nariko went to respond, but paused, thinking over his words. Knowing Naruto, it would probably be painful to see them so soon after he'd failed the test that they all passed. Shikamaru was right - he'd need some time to cool down, and Iruka was one of the few adults that treated him well, ever since the incident where Naruto had almost been killed by missing-nin after Akira's trick.

With a sigh, she deflated and slumped down into her seat. "You're right. We'll go find him after dinner."

"Huh," Tsuneo said from next to her, and she glanced at him, still brooding over Naruto. "I've never seen Riko-chan talked down so quickly once she gets that stubborn look in her eye." Nariko shifted uncomfortably at the contemplative way her father was studying Shikamaru.  _He can't know about my crush, right?_ She thought, panicked, and Shikamaru just shrugged and took his own seat next to his father across from him while Hinata took the empty seat to her right.

Luckily, Tsume, who had been teasing Nariko mercilessly for months over the boy, was busy needling a stoic Hiashi further down the table. "Nariko's pretty smart - she almost always listens to logic," Shikamaru said, and she immediately turned bright red.

"Is that right," Tsuneo said, amused. Her love for her father was reaffirmed as he changed the subject. "Well, my smart daughter, I suppose you'll be wanting your graduation present," he announced, and Nariko brightened. Her father gave the best gifts.

With a flourish that drew the attention of the rest of the table, he pulled out a scroll, then unrolled it and applied chakra. When the smoke cleared, Nariko's breath caught in her throat. Lying on the scroll were two familiar kodachi, sheathed in custom scabbards so dark purple they were almost black, which were both looped into a strap that Noriko knew attached the blades to the wearer's back.

"Dad, these...these were mama's swords." she turned her eyes to him, aware that the table had gone silent.

"Ah. I know you're busy with the Inuzuka clan techniques, but I thought if you were interested, you might like to keep a piece of her, as well. I know she had started teaching you before...well." He gave her a painful smile, and she launched herself out of her chair at him. He caught her with a huff, and let her bury her face in his neck to hide her wet eyes.

"Of course I'm interested," she said when she pulled back, pride and excitement building in her chest at the thought of wielding her mother's blades. It wasn't exactly a standard thing for someone in her clan to learn - they mostly relied on their combination jutsu and tracking abilities, but it's not like she was a standard Inuzuka anyway.

"Suoh!" she called as she jumped out of Tsuneo's lap, and the big dog stood from where he'd been watching the scene with the other three ninken in a spot that had been cleared for them in the corner. Reverently Nariko picked up the scabbards, eyes shining as memories of watching her mother go through her morning exercises with these very swords every day until she was almost six hit her.

"Aren't they beautiful?" she breathed as she grabbed the handle of one and pulled the blade out, the wieght familiar in her hand. Inuzuka Naya had been teaching her daughter how to wield the double kodachi for almost two years before she'd been killed by a snake bite in Water Country.

"Aa," Suoh rumbled, "They suit you."

"Your mother was a kunoichi?" Hinata asked in a quiet voice, and Nariko startled for a moment, having forgotten about their audience, and shook her head shyly before sheathing the gleaming blade.

"No...she came from a family of samurai, but her father wouldn't allow her to become one. He was more interested in marrying her off to a noble." Nariko glanced over at her dad, who was smiling wryly, and he took up the tale.

"Aa, but your mom had other ideas," Tsuneo said as he snagged her around the waist and tugged her back onto his lap. Suoh sat down next to them, Hinata politely pulling Nariko's abandoned chair away from the table so he'd have space. "Naya wasn't a woman that accepted the word 'no' easily, for all that she'd been raised to be a lady. She convinced her brothers to train her in secret, claiming that she'd need to be able to defend herself if her future husband was ever attacked. The Land of Iron isn't always peaceful, after all. They finally agreed, but only taught her the kodachi instead of the longer blades the men favored. Of course, she turned out to be a bit of genius." He leaned back, and Nariko watched his fond expression as he talked about his deceased wife. She'd heard this story a million times, but never got tired of it. "She decided if they wouldn't give her a longer blade..."

"She'd just make up for it by using two shorter ones," Nariko finished for him with a grin, and he tweaked her nose.

"And she became absolutely terrifying - even her brothers were wary of her." Tsuneo finished.

"And then this lump showed up and swept her off her feet, completely crushing the old man's dreams of her becoming the wife of a noble," Tsume, having also heard the story - directly from Nariko's mother, in fact - added. "They eloped, and Naya ran off to travel the Elemental Nations with two dogs and my idiot twin. Not even having this little one three years later stopped them from their adventurin'," she finished.

"That...that's so romantic!" Ino squealed. "She must have been beautiful," the blonde said with a sigh, resting her chin in her hand. "And elegant, if she was raised to be a lady." Shikaku and Inoichi, who had always been curious about Tsuneo's mysterious wife but never met her, as he was barely in the village, leaned forward in interest.

"Aa, she was...her hair was dark red, and her eyes were the same brown as Rika-chan's, and she was delicate-lookin', too. People always underestimated her because she talked all proper and held herself like a noble," Tsuneo said with a grin, and Nariko huffed.

"You remember the time that guy tried to take the teddy-bear you knitted me just to be a jerk?" Nariko asked, and Tsuneo threw his head back and laughed.

"How could I forget? I came back from getting supplies to find you standing on the back of his unconscious form, clinging to that damn bear, while your mom thrashed his friends with her still-sheathed kodachi." Nariko giggled at the memory, and when she glanced up she saw Shikamaru was resting his chin on his hand, watching her and her father with sharp eyes. She gave him a little smile and a wave, and his lips quirked up on one side.

The conversation moved on to samurai sword techniques in general after that, and Nariko ended up huddled next to Hinata, showing her the kodachi and telling her more stories about her mother.

It was around that time when the village alarms sounded. The adults at the table stiffened, and their festivities - and Nariko and her friends' plans to go find Naruto after dinner - were put on hold as their parents herded them all to their separate homes before taking off to report in.

000

The next morning Nariko made her way quickly to Naruto's house, worry and nervousness making her stomach flip over. She felt awful that she hadn't had a chance to see him the night before - the village had been on lockdown for the rest of the night, and there was no way to sneak past her cousin and her three ninken.

She turned the corner and paused for a moment when she saw a familiar coat-clad figure coming from the other way. Hinata caught sight of her a moment later, and Suoh chuffed next to her as the girls sheepishly waved at each other before moving to enter the run-down apartment building.

"Do you think we're doing the right thing, coming to find him?"  _With our hitai-ate on display?_ Nariko didn't add.

"We're his friends," Hinata said firmly despite her soft voice. "We need to show him we're here for him."

Nariko sent Hinata an impressed look - the girl was good at simplifying things when Nariko's worry wort brain tried to complicate them. "Aa, you're right," she said, then turned her attention to banging on Naruto's door.

They heard a thump, and a scuffle, and Nariko knocked again impatiently. They didn't have a ton of time before they were due at the academy, after all. Finally, the door was flung open by a sleep-rumpled Naruto, and Nariko had to cover a giggle when she caught sight of his sleep hat. He blinked at them for a moment, before taking in their awake and dressed state. His eyes widened in alarm.

"What time is it?!" he yelped, before looking at the clock on his wall and gasping. "Oh no! I'm going to be late for my first official day as a ninja!" He then spun and ran back towards his bedroom, muttering to himself.

Nariko and Hinata frowned at each other, confused, before hesitantly entering the messy lair of their friend. "Um, Naruto?" Nariko called tentatively towards his bedroom, where she could hear thumps and curses behind his mostly-closed door. "I thought - I mean, I heard - that you hadn't passed the exam?"

Naruto jumped from the bedroom, grinning widely and tying on his hitai-ate. Which he shouldn't even have, and smelled suspiciously like Iruka-sensei. "Well, Iruka-sensei...let me retake the test last night, and I passed!" he said happily, and Nariko twitched as his heartbeat stuttered and his scent changed. Suoh growled next to her, having caught it as well.

"Naruto," she said in a quiet voice, and he stopped in the middle of his rant about how he was too awesome to not be a ninja to look at her curiously. "If you don't want to tell me something, that's okay. But please, don't lie to me."

There was an awkward silence, and Nariko turned to the door, upset. "Listen, I'm glad you passed. I'll...see you at the Academy."

"Wait!" Nariko paused at the door, one arm crossed over her body with her hand grasping at the opposite bicep. She didn't turn back towards her blonde friend, instead staring hard at the floor.

"I...I'm sorry. It's just, I'm afraid you won't like me when I tell you what really happened," he said in a quiet voice, and Nariko turned to glance at him over her shoulder. She immediately softened when she saw how dejected he looked.

"I doubt that anything you tell us will make us not like you," Nariko said, "But like I said, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

"I - I will tell you! Just not right now," he said, and she met his determined blue gaze.

"O-Okay, Naruto, whenever you're ready is fine," Hinata said softly, obviously relieved that Nariko and Naruto had worked it out.

"Now, let's stop and get some buns on the way, then find out our team assignments!" Nariko said, and Naruto cheered.

"Man, wouldn't it be great if the three of us were on a team together?" Naruto asked after taking a huge bite of bun.

"It would be pretty nice," Nariko said, and swallowed nervously. "I'm not very good at making friends..."

Hinata took her hand and squeezed it with her own. "You'll do fine, Nariko. It's been a long time since when you first came to the Academy. Everyone knows how kind and strong you are, so whoever you end up with will like you for sure," she said gently, and Nariko blushed at the praise, though she thought it was Hinata that fit that description best.

Nariko changed the subject to tell Naruto that her father was in town, and wanted to meet him that evening. Naruto looked nervous, as he always did when meeting new people, but agreed to come over to dinner, along with Hinata. He perked up when she told him about the kodachi her father had gifted her. "And Tsume-obasan says she knows a weapons mistress that will probably be able to help me, if my jounin-sensei approves it," she finished as they entered the classroom.

"You'll be just as good at it as your mom was, believe it!" Naruto said, and Nariko beamed and pushed his shoulder playfully in gratitude. She left Naruto to explain to a few of their classmates why he suddenly had a hitai-ate to sit down towards the back.

Hinata took the seat by the window, as usual, and Nariko sat next to her, with Suoh lying on the floor closest to the aisle. Nariko's heart leapt when Shikamaru and Chouji came in a few minutes later, and she blushed at Suoh's huffing chuckles next to her.

With a scowl, she clambered onto the table, mumbling that she would be right back, and leaped from the table top all the way down to the main level by the door, landing next to Shikamaru in a crouch. He raised an eyebrow, then smirked at her entrance, and she grinned back at him. "Hey, Nariko," he said around a yawn.

"Hey, Shikamaru. Um, can I talk to you for a minute?" She swallowed, and part of her was telling her to abort, but she'd spent last night nervously knitting, unable to sleep worrying about Naruto. When she'd looked down at one point, she'd gaped at what she had created, a little embarrassed that she was so focused on the Nara boy that she would knit... _that_ even when she was thinking about something else. But, well, now that they existed, she couldn't really resist...

He raised an eyebrow, and tilted his head, indicating she should follow him to the hallway. When they were standing just outside the door, his brown eyes studying her expectantly even as he leaned against the wall with his hands stuffed into his pockets, she shifted in nervousness.

"Um..." she said, and looked down the hallway, suddenly losing her nerve. Because there was no way he wouldn't know how she felt once she... "You know, never mind, it's stupid -" She turned to head back to the classroom, but his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Whatever it is, you know I won't make fun of you," he said seriously, and she bit her lip, weighing her options. She was an Inuzuka, and they didn't  _hesitate._ Also, she was a shinobi now - there was no room for cowardice.  _And you miss seeing him in his scarf every day now that the weather is too warm..._ her traitorous inner voice said.

"I just...I made you something," she finally blurted out, and he blinked once at her, before tilting his head to the side.

"Well, let's see it then," he drawled when she didn't continue.

"It's not - it's nothing exciting." she mumbled, even as her hand seemed to move by itself to her kunai pouch - brand new, a gift from Tsume - on her thigh, and she pulled out the soft strips of fabric before thrusting them towards him, her head turned to the side and cheeks red.

He took them from her, and turned them over in his hands. When he didn't say anything, she swallowed, feeling idiotic. "You - you don't have to wear them, or anything. My feelings won't be hurt. I just thought -"

"I like them," his firm voice said, and when she looked over, he was pulling on the two knitted wristbands she'd made him, his cheeks just as red as her own. They were about two inches wide, the yarn the same blue as the sky on a clear summer day, except for the small, white clouds scattered throughout the one he wore on his left wrist. On the other wrist, the Nara clan symbol was done in the same white on the front, and she just stared for a moment at them.

"I - you do?" she squeaked, and he reached forward and ran his fingers lightly across the leather strip on her own wrist.

"Aa, they're perfect for me. They're kind of like the ones your dad wears," he said the last as a statement, but she knew it was a question.

"Yes, I made them for him when he told me that I'd be coming to live in Konoha without him. The bandanas on Jin and Hao, too," she said softly. He studied her face for a moment, and she fidgeted, wondering what he was thinking. Finally, he straightened, and leaned in close to her.

"Thanks," he muttered, and brushed his lips across her cheek before turning and walking quickly - for him - into the classroom. Nariko stood out in the hallway, hand on her cheek and beaming at the wall until Iruka herded her into the classroom.

She practically floated back to her seat, ignoring Suoh's growl when she tripped over him to get to her chair. She avoided looking back at Shikamaru, and had to purse her lips together to keep herself from smiling goofily while Iruka gave a speech about the honor of becoming a shinobi.

Hinata touched her arm lightly at one point, and Nariko glanced over to see her questioning eyebrow-raise. Nariko chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment before deciding that this was  _definitely_ something you shared with a female friend. Or at least, it's something Hana would giggle about with her friends while they were over. Glancing around, she mouthed Shikamaru's name, then surreptitiously pointed at her own wrist under the table. Hinata frowned, and Nariko rolled her eyes before 'accidentally' dropping her pen between them.

Hinata's lips quirked, and she leaned down to pick it up for her, allowing her eyes to dart back to where Shikamaru was sitting. Whoever said Hinata wasn't shinobi material had never played a prank or had a silent conversation with the girl. Anybody else might have just turned around to gape at the boy, and that would have been horribly embarrassing.

When she sat up and handed the pen back, she widened her eyes at Nariko in excitement, who gave her an equally excited face back. Then, Iruka was calling out the team names, and they had to put their attention on him again.

"Team Seven is Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura," Nariko's eyes narrowed, and all excitement fled. Out of everyone, they had to choose the two students who would probably be the most awful to Naruto. What were they thinking? Even Iruka's explanation of why they were paired together didn't feel like a good enough reason to put her friend through that. The fact that Sakura was his crush and Sasuke was his self-proclaimed rival, and they both treated him like garbage was not going to make for a healthy team dynamic.

"Team Eight will be Inuzuka Nariko, Aburame Shino, and Hyuuga Hinata," for a moment, Nariko felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She sat stiffly, hands fisted in front of her and staring out at nothing as Iruka finished the team assignments. She forced herself to breath through her panic, because  _how could she go home and tell Tsume this?_

"Nariko-chan?" Hinata's soft voice broke through her thoughts, and she looked up at Hinata, who was looking unsure as everybody stood and turned to find their teams. Nariko jolted when she realized what it must look like to her team members - like she was upset to be paired with them. She smiled softly.

"Sorry, Hinata-chan, I was thinking of something else. How great is it that we're on the same team?" And after forcing the thoughts of her aunt's reaction to the news that she was taking the spot that must have been meant for her son, she  _was_ excited. Hinata was tough, loyal, and kind - a good person to have at her back. Hinata gave her a tremulous smile back.

"Let's go find Shino -"

"I am here. Why? Because you were taking too long to stand." Nariko turned and blinked at the mostly-hidden boy, and smiled.

"Shino-san, I'm looking forward to being your teammate." she stood, and Shino backed out of the way as Suoh stretched and moved out from behind the table.

"Just Shino is fine," he intoned, and Nariko and Hinata responded in kind. Neither of them had interacted with the boy much - mostly because they were both pretty shy when it came to interacting with their peers (Hinata more so), and he seemed to want to be left alone.

They decided to eat the lunches they'd brought outside together. It was a nice day, and for awhile they ate in comfortable silence. Finally, Shino spoke.

"I am not surprised that we are on the same team. Why? Because mine and Hinata's father, and Nariko's aunt were on the same team, and performed with great success."

Nariko gave a strained smile at the reminder. "Aa, I suppose I should have seen it coming." Hinata shot her a worried look, and Nariko realized she had probably caught onto what had her so stressed out. She had told Naruto and Hinata about her cousin once, after a night where Hana had given her the cold shoulder. Nariko tried not to let it bother her, but some days, she felt like nothing more than a pile of salt being rubbed in a wound.

An awkward silence fell, and Nariko bit her lip, feeling guilty, and searched for a subject. "I met your father once, Shino-san. He showed me his kikaichu. Are you hosting a similar breed?" she inquired politely. Usually it wasn't something you'd ask, but since they were teammates now, they'd need to know each other's strengths and weaknesses.

For a moment he was silent as he studied her, and she resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably. With his dark glasses and coat, and the smell and sound of his insects blocking out the usual indicators of mood all Inuzuka used, he was an enigma. It was kind of refreshing, in a totally unnerving kind of way. "I am host to the same breed of insect as my father utilizes. Why? Because I am his son, and eggs from his kikaichu were offered to me as an infant. They are useful in tracking, and can be utilized offensively to drain chakra from opponents or eat through flesh. They can also drain poison from a body."

She hummed in thought. "Well, as you know, Suoh is my partner. He's older and more experienced than most ninken partners are for Inuzuka my age, so he's really useful to have around in a fight." Suoh snorted from where he was lying stretched out on his side, dozing, and Hinata giggled.

"I would like to know more about that. Why? Because my father informed me it is a very unusual situation." Nariko blinked at his bluntness, then shrugged - after all, she'd been just pretty blunt herself.

"Yes..." she hesitated, then looked over at Suoh, who raised his head at her and tilted it to the side - his version of a shrug. Apparently today was the day to drag out all the painful things. "He had a partner before me, named Inuzuka Nikko. He died in the Inuzuka Influenza outbreak six years ago. I moved here when I was eight, and when we met...well, I guess it was just right," she said simply. Shino hummed in thought, and she continued quickly. "Anyway, I was trained in tracking, stealth and evasion by my father since the moment I could walk, and my mother started me on swordsmanship, though I haven't practiced it since I was very young. I've recently decided to take it back up. Tsume-sama is also working with me on my clan combination techniques."

Shino inclined his head, and they both looked at Hinata expectantly. "U-um, well, I've trained with my father on the clan's Gentle Fist technique. I'm probably...average," she said quietly, and nervously tapped her fingertips together, looking down into her lap. Nariko leaned against her, and Hinata immediately relaxed a little. "I am proficient with my Byakugan, though I am still training."

Nariko grinned at her a little, and decided to add in her own opinion. "She's also pretty fast and has good endurance, especially for a Hyuuga," she teased, and Hinata's lips quirked up at the tone - the same tone Tsume always used when needling Hiashi.

"I train with Nariko-chan and Tsume-san a few times a week. It is very different than my clan training," she said softly.

Shino's insects grew louder for a moment - a sign of agitation? Nariko couldn't be sure. "I see you two know each other well already," he said in a flat voice, and Hinata bit her lip. Nariko hadn't considered that their third might feel left out when she heard that Hinata was on her team, but now it seemed obvious.

"Maybe you could join us for my aunt's endurance training," she said tentatively. "It's...well, it's intense, but it's pretty useful," she said lamely.

He was silent for a moment before inclining his head in agreement. The rest of lunch was spent mostly in silence, and Nariko found herself missing Naruto's chattering in the background. A look at Hinata's wistful expression told her she was feeling the same way.

A few minutes later, Shino spoke. "We should go back to the classroom. Why? Because Iruka-sensei will be assigning our sensei soon."

Nariko nodded, and stood, then held her hand out to Shino to help him up. For a moment he just stared at it, but she waited patiently. After a few seconds, he reached out one pale, surprisingly delicate looking hand, and clasped hers with his own. She tugged him up, and flashed a grin at him.

Their sensei, a beautiful, young kunoichi named Yuuhi Kurenai, smelled of nerves but held herself confidently from where she was standing, one hand on her hip, staring down at them where they sat in the training ground she'd led them to.

"As you already know," she said in a level, clear voice, "My name is Yuuhi Kurenai, and I will be your jounin-sensei and the leader of Team Eight. My specialty is genjutsu, but I assure you I am proficient in many other areas as well. I will be responsible for your training, so if you need help in something, come to me. Even if I can't personally help you through your difficulties, I will find someone who can. I'd like you to tell me a little bit about yourselves, and then I'd like us to all do a demonstration of our skills. Who'd like to start?"

Nariko cleared her throat, and stood, putting her hands on her hips and tossing her hair back behind her shoulders, unconsciously mirroring her aunt's usual pose. "My name is Inuzuka Nariko, and this is my partner, Suoh. I'd say my real talent lies in stealth and evasion, but my aunt says I've got a good nose, even for an Inuzuka. Suoh and I have been learning our clan's combination jutsu, and are doing pretty well there. I also have a goal of learning to wield my mother's double kodachi. Um, I also really like to knit." She blushed a bit at the last part, and sat down, ignoring Suoh's chuffing laugh.

"Alright," Kurenai said, a small smile playing on her lips. "That's good. Who's next?"

Shino stood, and put his hands in his pockets before speaking in his usual monotone voice. "I am Aburame Shino. My kikaichu are useful for tracking, draining chakra from enemies, eating through objects, and also removing poisons from a body. Outside of learning clan jutsu, I am interested in the study of all insects, and would one day like to work in the clan's research facility. I also enjoy reading." He sat down again without fanfare, and Kurenai nodded her head.

"Okay, go ahead, Hinata-chan," she said in a gentle voice, and Nariko breathed out a sigh of relief at the realization that their jounin-sensei wouldn't be cruel to Hinata over her shyness.

Hinata stood, and though her face was red she barely stuttered as she began speaking. Nariko couldn't help but feel a bit of pride at that - she, Naruto, and Suoh had worked hard with Hinata to get her past that symptom of her anxiety. "M-my name is Hyuuga Hinata. I am probably what you would consider average at my clan techniques, though I-I feel I do well at picking up small clues with my Byakugan when I practice tracking with Tsume-san." she stopped talking for a moment, obviously embarrassed at what she probably saw as bragging. Nariko gave her an encouraging smile, and Hinata took a deep breath and continued. "Also due to my extra training with Tsume-san and Nariko-chan, I have better stamina and speed than most Hyuugas my age. I enjoy spending time with my friends and helping to train the young ninken in the Inuzuka kennels." She said the last in a rush, and sat down quickly, cheeks red.

Kurenai hummed in thought. "Well, it sounds like you all hold skills in tracking along with a few other things. I want you to know, however, that despite what kind of pressure you feel from your clans or the elders, that I want you three to decide on your own what your specialty is, within reason. It is clear to me already that you aren't just carbon copies of your parents, so please think carefully on this as we train for the next few months."

"Hai, sensei," they all said, and Nariko could tell her words had made her new teammates just as thoughtful as she was feeling. Nariko had always just assumed she'd end up following in either her father's or Tsume's footsteps - most likely her aunt's, since she didn't think she had the charisma to do what her father did. At least not the people side of it - building and maintaining large networks - but the sneaking in and out of places without being seen she would probably be quite good at.

They spent the next hour demonstrating their combat abilities by sparring one on one, and finally Kurenai called a halt, and then they went and sat down again. Kurenai stared at them for a moment before seeming to come to a decision.

"Okay, good job. Show up here tomorrow at eight am for our first team training. I look forward to working with you." They bowed and thanked her, and Nariko couldn't help the fierce grin that grew on her face. She was officially a shinobi.

"Hinata - I need to go talk to my aunt before dinner. Do you mind grabbing Naruto so he doesn't chicken out on meeting my dad?" Hinata shook her head. Nariko hesitated, then turned to Shino. "Hinata and Naruto are coming over for dinner tonight. I'd like it if you came, too. I know you've met Tsume-obasan a few times, but I think my dad would want to meet you, too. He's usually not in the village."

Shino nodded his head. "I will come. Why? Because I would like to spend time with my new team." Nariko beamed at him, and he twitched a little.

"Great! Come over around six, then. Bye!" She took off running, Suoh on her heels. When they got closer to the compound, she slowed and bit her lip.

"Suoh..." she said in a small voice, and he leaned against her in support. When they got to her house, she paused in front of the door for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping inside.

"We're home!" she called.

"Welcome home!" her father's deep voice said, and she followed the sound of it into the kitchen after removing her shoes, Suoh a silent shadow behind her. Tsuneo was sitting at the table drinking tea and filling out paperwork. Tsume was at the stove putting more tea on, and she greeted them both as Nariko took a seat at the table, Suoh flopping down behind her chair.

"So, you got your team," her father said, giving her an expectant look. She swallowed and darted her eyes over to her aunt, who had turned to lean against the counter and look at her in interest.

"I...yes." Nariko said, throat dry.

"And...?" Tsuneo said leadingly. Nariko looked down at her hands, suddenly feeling sick.

"What's wrong?" her father's suddenly serious voice said, and she heard his chair screech against the floor as he stood and came to crouch by her chair. "Do you not like them? Were they mean to you?" he practically growled, and she jerked her head up to look at him, and shook it quickly.

"No! They - I like them. My jounin-sensei seems really cool. We got a kunoichi, and my team was the only one with two girls and one boy."

"Okay, so what's the problem?" he said, and Tsume sighed.

"It's okay, girly. I figured they wouldn't be able to resist trying that formation again." Nariko whipped her head to look at her aunt, who was studying the cup in her hands, uncharacteristically silent.

"Tsume-obasan. I...I'm sorry," she whispered, and the woman snorted, and looked up at her.

"You ain't got nothin' to be sorry for. Nariko, I'm proud that you're representing the Inuzuka clan in such an important way. I'm proud because I love  _you,_ for yourself. I've never been sad to have ya' around. Don't forget that." Her aunt set down her cup, then crossed the kitchen to give her a pat on the head before leaving the room.

"So I'm guessing your teammates are the Aburame boy and Hinata-chan, then," her father said after a moment, and Nariko blinked her eyes a few times to clear them and nodded. He sighed, and rubbed a hand down his face before pulling her into a hug. "It ain't healthy to carry around this guilt, Riko-chan. What happened to Kiba was a tragedy, but nobody thinks you're tryin' to take his place, alright?" she nodded, and he pulled back. "I'm gonna go talk to your aunt. You okay?" she nodded again, and when he hesitated she pushed at him.

"Go on, make sure Tsume-obasan's alright," she said in a scratchy voice. He kissed her forehead, then took off. With a sigh, she looked at the clock - she had a full hour before she needed to get ready for dinner. She decided to go for a walk with Suoh to clear her head before her team and Naruto arrived, and slipped out the door, holding it open long enough for Suoh to follow.

"Your dad's right," he rumbled, and she glanced over at him.

"I know," she said. "I just...can't help but feel bad when I remind Hana and Tsume-obasan of him." Suoh hummed, but didn't respond for a few minutes. When he did, she jumped, having been concentrating on the soothing, familiar smells of the Inuzuka forest around them.

"It's not like that with you and I, you know." Nariko furrowed her brow and looked at him in question, and he huffed. He hated having to talk about feelings, she knew, and especially hated having to spell himself out. Probably the result of barely speaking for two years. "You aren't a reminder of Nikko," he clarified. "Nothing about you ever makes me sad."

Nariko dropped to her knees and hugged him around the neck, ignoring his pleased grumbling. "You're the  _best_ partner," she mumbled into his fur.

After a few minutes they stood and started walking again. It had only been about five minutes when Suoh tilted his head to the side, listening. "What is it," Nariko asked in a low voice.

"Somebody's crying," he said, and Nariko frowned and concentrated as well, feeding a bit of chakra into her ears. There - the sound of small, muffled sobs, and what sounded like the whine of a young ninken. Nariko was already heading towards the noise, Suoh on her heels, without thinking twice about it. Silently they weaved through the trees until they came to a small creek. A tree had grown so that it curved down and over the water, and curled up against it's trunk was a small boy, sniffling into the fur of his tiny partner, who was nuzzling against him in an attempt to comfort him.

Nariko hesitated before taking a few steps forward, purposely making noise so he would know she was approaching. His head shot up, and she studied his red, tear-and-snot stained face. His eyes were a striking blue, and he had jet black hair that made his clan markings pop on his pale face.

"I - what are you doing here?" he muttered, obviously embarrassed, and his ninken barked out a reprimand at them.

"We weren't trying to sneak up on you," Suoh grumbled back, and the boy perked up.

"You can talk! And...your partner is pretty young for how big you are. That must mean you're Tsume-sama's niece, huh?" He directed the last part to Nariko.

She gave a small smile. "That's right. I'm sorry we startled you - we heard you crying and wanted to make sure you were okay. My name is Nariko, and this is Suoh. What's yours?" She moved forward until she was about three feet away, and sat down cross legged. Suoh curled around her, and she leaned back against him.

"I'm Akemi, and this is Tama." he said, wiping his cheeks on his sleeves. "And I ain't crying," he muttered, cheeks red.

Nariko smiled. "Oh? Our mistake. You seem sad, though. Do you want to talk about it?"

He studied her with suspicion. "You talk pretty fancy," he said.

Nariko laughed. "It's because of my mother," she explained. "She was raised to be a court lady, and she taught me to talk, so."

"Your mother was a lady but married an Inuzuka?" he asked doubtfully, and Suoh chortled.

"Well, everyone says my father is surprisingly charming for an Inuzuka," she allowed. "So, are you going to tell me why you're so sad?"

He fiddled with a loose thread on his shirt, and shrugged. "Well," she said after it became clear he wasn't going to answer, "it's getting close to dinner time. Your family is probably going to get worried soon, so how about I walk you home." To her surprise, his eyes filled with tears again, and Taka growled at her.

Nariko held up her hands to show she didn't mean any harm, and inched forward on her knees before putting a hesitant hand on his shoulder. "Akemi-kun -" she was cut off as he threw himself at her, burying his head in her shoulder _._

"What -" she asked, a little dazed even as she wrapped her arms around him in bewilderment. He spent a few minutes getting snot and tears all over her shirt before pulling back a little.

"Nobody will be worried about me," he said, lower lip wobbling, and Nariko's heart clenched, because the kid was pretty adorable.

"Oh?" she asked softly, and rubbed her hand in soothing circles on his back as Taka wiggled between them.

"Mom and Auntie are both out on missions," he whispered, and Nariko knew better than to ask about his father. Her heart clenched at the loneliness coming off the boy in waves.

"Well, I know it's not the same as having your aunt or mother around, but you're welcome to come to my house for dinner. My team will be there, too," she said hesitantly, and the boy brightened.

"Your team? They're all shinobi like you?" He said in excitement, and she nodded, amused at his sudden change in mood. "Wow! I'm starting at the academy next month," he said, and his chest puffed out in pride.

"Really?" she said, standing and reaching down to help him up.

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! Taka and I are going to be combat types," he said. "Not boring trackers!" Taka barked in agreement, and Nariko let her hair fall forward to hide her smile as he grabbed her hand.

Suoh grumbled at Taka as she bounded around his feet in excitement, yapping at him. "You're a little young to think you can take me on,  _pup,"_ he grumbled, and the tiny dog growled.

"You two do seem very fierce," Nariko finally settled on, and was rewarded with a wide smile. Nariko noted that his canines hadn't started to sharpen and grow into the Inuzuka signature fangs yet. It usually took a good year after getting a partner for them to appear, so it wasn't surprising. Nariko hadn't gotten her own set until she was about nine, since she found her own partner so late. That, along with the changes in vocal chords that allowed their clan to growl so convincingly.

Tsume seemed to have recovered when they arrived, and raised an eyebrow at the small boy hanging off Nariko's hand and the puppy batting at Suoh's tail.

"Akemi-kun, hello," she said, and the boy grinned at her.

"Hi, Tsume-obasan. Akemi-kun's mother and aunt are out on missions right now, so I invited him and Taka-chan over for dinner."

"A' course. I woulda invited you myself if I'd thought of it," the woman said with a smile.

"Well, Nariko-nee seemed lonely, so I didn't feel like I could really say no!" he said, hands on his hips, and Taka barked a confirmation from where she was trying to climb up Suoh's side.

Nariko found herself mouthing  _Nariko-nee_ and wondering when he had decided they were that close, and Suoh just looked like he was considering whether killing Taka would be justifiable homicide. The puppy was completely unconcerned by his growling and sniping.

Tsume cackled, and Nariko gave a small smile at her aunt's restored good mood before excusing herself to take a shower. When she reappeared, Tsuneo was telling a wide-eyed Akemi about the time he'd been captured by Kiri nin and his wife had teamed up with his ninken to break him out of a fortress. One of his favorite stories, and Nariko couldn't help but grin when she spotted Naruto and Hinata as well, the blonde looking totally enraptured with the story.

"But - Naya-san wasn't a ninja! You said!" Akemi protested when they got to the part where she had rigged explosives to take out the south wall of the border outpost.

Nariko moved to sit next to Naruto, nudging him with her elbow. "How'd it go?" she whispered, and he shrugged.

"Eh, Sasuke-teme is still a jerk," he mumbled, then brightened. "But Sakura-chan is still awesome!" Nariko carefully didn't look over at Hinata, though Suoh sat down next to the girl and put his head in her lap.

"Well, you're a team now, so you should try to find things you like about Sasuke," Nariko said gently, and Naruto blew a raspberry in response, drawing Akemi's attention. The boy's blue eyes narrowed before he jumped up and squeezed between a baffled Nariko and Naruto, latching onto the older Inuzuka's arm.

"Who are  _you?_ " he asked, glaring at Naruto, who glared right back.

Nariko sighed. "Akemi-kun, this is my good friend, Uzumaki Naruto. And this is my other good friend and also one of my teammates, Hyuuga Hinata. You guys, this is Akemi and Taka."

"So you aren't her boyfriend?" Akemi asked bluntly, and Tsuneo choked on a laugh while Nariko and Naruto both made a horrified face.

"Uh, no, Akemi-kun," Nariko said before Naruto could say something possibly insulting. "Naruto-kun is one of my best friends, but that's all."

Akemi sniffed and pushed closer against her side. "That's good, 'cause I'll be marrying you when we're older," the boy said firmly.

Nariko blinked down at the boy. "Uh, kid..." she mumbled, and Naruto threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"What's so funny?" Akemi said, bristling.

"Like Nariko-chan would look twice at little kid like you!"

"I'm not a little kid!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"...Am I interrupting something?" a monotone voice said from the door, and Nariko jumped up and practically ran over to Shino, who her father must have let in while they were distracted, in relief.

"Look! It's my other teammate!" She said a little desperately. Naruto and Akemi both had their arms crossed over their chests and were glowering in opposite directions while Tsuneo looked on in amusement and Hinata's eyes darted between the two nervously.

As Nariko introduced Shino to her father and Akemi, she realized with a jolt just how much her circle had grown since she was a lonely eight year old girl. Suoh seemed to have caught onto her thoughts, because he chuffed next to her when Akemi proclaimed himself her future husband and Naruto called him a baby.

Their argument quickly devolved into a wrestling match, Tsume and Tsuneo laughing from the sidelines while Hinata backed up to get out of the line of fire and Shino watched with what was probably an unimpressed face under the glasses and coat.

"They're a weird pack, but they'll do," the ninken muttered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nariko's first month as a genin, and Team 8 chooses their specialization.

The next morning Nariko woke up to a small body wrapped around her own and drool on her shoulder. She sighed and went about wriggling out from under her limpet without waking him, and couldn't help but smile at how cute Akemi looked while he was asleep.

Tsume had insisted he stay over (in the guest room, but apparently he snuck in to cuddle with Nariko in the middle of the night) and the boy hadn't even put up a token protest. She knew that seven was considered old enough in a shinobi family, especially one surrounded by clan, to stay on your own, but Nariko definitely didn't approve. The poor kid was obviously extremely lonely. Of course, she also knew that single parents didn't always have a choice - Tsuneo was just lucky enough to have immediate family to take her in.

She quickly got dressed, and slipped out of her room, trying not to giggle as Suoh distastefully pulled his paw out from under Taka's head where the puppy had made herself at home in his large bed on the floor next to Nariko's. She yawned as she grabbed a banana to eat on her way to the Inuzuka training grounds, Suoh sleepily padding next to her.

When she got there, she perked up. Tsume and Tsuneo were standing across the field from each other, ninken at their sides, both breathing heavily, the furrows and craters and knocked over trees on the edges of the area indicating that they'd been sparring for awhile. As one they both moved, and Nariko's breath caught as they met in the middle, Jin and Hao diving at their larger brother, snarling, while Tsume sent her own brother flying with a well placed kick. He landed on his feet, and dodged when she came spinning after him in fang over fang.

He made some hand signs and slapped his hands to the ground, creating an earth wall and disappearing behind it. Tsume hit the wall on her next pass, and instead of stopping she kept drilling, until cracks began to form and it exploded outward. When she came to a stop, however, crouched down and teeth bared, there was nobody there.

Tsume looked around, inhaling deeply, and Nariko leaned forward, eyes darting around to try and find any trace of her father. She knew he didn't rely too heavily on the clan techniques, claiming a shinobi should have more in his repertoire. Plus, there were times he had to leave his partners behind in his line of work, so it was important that he have other tools to use if he got into trouble. That meant he could be planning all types of sneaky things.

Two hands appeared from under Tsume, and with a tug she was buried up to her neck, left scowling up at her brother, who had popped out of the ground and was grinning at her. A moment later, he was bowled over by Kuromaru as he came darting out of the treeline, followed by two smaller (but still huge) grey streaks. From there, the spar devolved into a four-way wrestling match while Tsume cursed and wiggled out of the ground.

Nariko hopped the fence now that they were done with the large scale moves, and jogged over to kneel down next to Tsume and help her move the dirt back, ignoring her father's yelps of pain behind her, knowing Kuromaru wouldn't really hurt him.

Finally, Tsume had both arms free and used a chakra-filled push to free her hips and then her legs. Nariko giggled as the woman looked down at her dirt covered form in disgust. "Think that's funny, eh girly?" she said, and Nariko tried to back up at the glint in her eye, but didn't make it before she was being pulled into the loose dirt, held down and giggling as Tsume gleefully rubbed clumps of it in her hair.

A battle cry, and Tsuneo launched himself at his sister, sending the three of them rolling in a mess of limbs. Nariko laughed helplessly as she tried to grab onto somebody - anybody - and get a hold of them, indiscriminately rubbing dirt all over her aunt and father.

Eventually they both turned their attention to her, and Tsume held her down as Tsuneo tickled her mercilessly, her laughter ringing out over the clearing in the quiet morning air. Finally, she begged them to stop and they relented, the three of them flopping back to catch their breath.

"Well, daughter-mine, why don't you show me what you've got, hm?" Tsuneo said after a few minutes. They spent the next forty-five minutes going over the clan techniques she'd picked up, and at the end he was grinning at her so widely she could see almost all his teeth.

"Look at that, you picked those up damn quick for how late you got started, baby." Nariko beamed back at him and Tsume slapped her back, pride evident.

"Yep, she's a smart one, for sure. I admit, evasion and stealth isn't my cup a' tea, so we've mostly been focusing on sense enhancement and tracking when we ain't workin' on the jutsu."

Tsuneo hummed. "Well, I suppose you and I will just have to work on that, though kami knows you sucked up most of what I already knew like a damn sponge when you were younger," he said fondly, and they moved to walk back to the house.

Nariko was pretty sure she had to be to practice in a little over an hour, and she had clumps of dirt and sweat in her hair that she needed to wash out still, so she tugged him along a little faster, ignoring his complaints about how sore he was from his spar with his 'devil sister.'

When Nariko opened the door, she stopped and blinked for a moment at the smell of food cooking. She knew Hana had left for a mission that morning, so who had made breakfast? By the looks on Tsuneo and Tsume's faces, they were having the same thought. As if appearing to answer their questions, Akemi rounded the corner, and Nariko had to fight to keep her face straight. The boy had gotten dressed, and over his blue pants and brown t-shirt he had put on Hana's yellow apron printed with white daisies. There was a folded bandana holding his black hair back from his face, and in his hand was a spatula.

"You three are filthy!" he scolded, and they all found themselves jolting guiltily. "Go on, get cleaned up!" When they were halfway down the hall, Tsume stopped suddenly.

"Wait a second," she growled. "Why am I listening to that brat, anyway?" She put a hand on her hip and scowled, them jumped when Akemi yelled "Fifteen minutes! Better hurry if you want to eat!"

They all took off down the hallway, pushing and shoving at each other. Nariko darted into her room, and paused when she noticed the new clothes that were lying on her desk with a note on top. She must have missed it the first time she left that morning. Tentatively, she picked up the note, and gave a small smile as she read it.

_Nariko,_

_I thought you could use a new outfit to go with your new rank. Have mom help you with the spikes._

_Love,_

_Hana_

Nariko's heart seemed to swell in her chest as she read the note. Maybe Hana didn't mind her being around after all. Biting her lip, she grabbed the clothes and a sports bra (she'd started needing to wear them almost a month ago. Tsume had cackled and told her early development and generous curves were the curse of Inuzuka women. Nariko was desperately hoping the second wouldn't be true in her case) and underwear and her towel from the back of the door and headed for the bathroom.

Somehow she got cleaned up and dressed in time to make the fifteen minute limit, though her hair was still leaving a wet trail down her back. Shyly, she stepped into the kitchen, where Tsume and Tsuneo were eagerly staring at the bowls of food Akemi had put out, all of the ninken somehow piled into the corner, looking like a mountain of fur with a tiny lump in the form of Taka perched at the very top, asleep.

"Well look at that," Tsume said with a grin, and Tsuneo whistled.

She blushed, and looked down at herself. She was wearing long black pants that were lined with mesh armor between the soft inner and outer layers. They hugged her closely to prevent fabric from flapping around as she moved, but didn't restrict movement. Her mesh tank top was lined in dark blue beneath the see-through armor, and was also tight, though flexible. Over the top of it all was a thin grey-blue hoodless jacket that fit closely to her body, and reached mid-thigh. She'd zipped it up to a few inches below her collarbone so that the pretty blue color of the tank top was visible.

"You look gorgeous, baby," Tsuneo said, and she blushed and looked to the side. In one hand she was holding two long strings of tiny, sharp spikes, and in the other her hitai-ate.

"Hana gave them to me," she said, and knew how ridiculously pleased she sounded about that. "She said I should ask you for help with the spikes, Tsume-obasan."

Akemi had stopped to stare at her, wide-eyed, and Nariko grimaced a bit at the stars in his eyes. "You are so cool, Nariko-nee! You're the toughest and prettiest kunoichi out there!"

Tsume raised an eyebrow, but Akemi was too busy clasping his hands beneath his chin and staring at Nariko to notice. "Uh, Akemi-kun, I think your food is burning," Nariko said a little desperately, and the boy yelped and dove towards the stove. Letting out a breath of relief, Nariko sat down and started loading up her plate.

The food not only smelled amazing, but it looked amazing, too. "Wow, Akemi-kun, this is so good!" Nariko said, and Tsuneo mumbled his agreement around his bite of food.

"I'll help you with your hair after breakfast - but you'll have to learn to do it yourself, or cut it," Tsume said sternly, ignoring Tsuneo's choked denials. "You aren't good enough yet to leave it loose, and it's damned thick to do much other than what Hana and I put together for you to try if you leave it that length."

"I understand, Tsume-obasan," Nariko said seriously, and the woman nodded, satisfied.

After eating as quickly as she could, she dragged Tsume upstairs, worried that she would be late if they didn't hurry. Tsume sat her down, and spent a few minutes detangling her half-dried hair, and rubbing a bit of oil into it to keep the fly-aways to a minimum. She then began pulling it back into a plate, talking her through braiding the strings of small metal spikes into it.

"In the future, you can poison them if you need to," Tsume said cheerfully. "But for now, I'd let your comrades get used to them before making them deadly in case they have an idiotic moment."

Nariko carefully felt for the spikes in her hair, impressed at how well-hidden they were. Tsume had left a few curling strands out at the front, and took out scissors and carefully trimmed them to frame her face before grabbing her hitai-ate and tying it around her head as a headband, with the curling strands in front, and used a few hairpins to keep it in place.

"There ya go, look at that," Tsume said with a little too much satisfaction, and the woman shrugged at her suspicious look.

"What? Can't an aunt want to dress up her adorable niece? Now stand up so we can wrap your thigh and put on your kunai pouch."

Tsuneo ended up walking her to practice, stating that he wanted to run his personal training past her sensei, but Nariko had a feeling he really just wanted to meet her assigned teacher. When they arrived, Hinata's eyes widened at her outfit, and Nariko paused as she looked at both her teammates and groaned.

"Oh my god, I just realized we all pretty much match," she said, hanging her head. "My aunt dressed me up to match her friends' kids, this is so embarrassing," she grumbled as Tsuneo threw his head back and laughed, and Suoh chuffed at her.

"Nah, I think it's  _adorable,"_ he teased. "Ya look like a real team, that's for sure."

"I think it is a nice as a way to show team cohesion," Shino said, and Nariko eyed him, wondering if she had upset him.

"U-um, I also think it's nice," Hinata said quietly, and after a moment Nariko smiled at them brightly, feeling warm.

"Mm! You're right. It  _is_ fun that we all match!"

"Well, I feel like I need to go shopping for jackets now," a voice said from behind them, and everybody except for Tsuneo and the ninken jumped at the sudden appearance of Kurenai-sensei.

After introducing the two adults, Kurenai sent them to run three warm-up laps of the training grounds while she talked to Tsuneo. Jin and Hao joined them, happily bounding up ahead and running back, barking encouragement at a grumbling Suoh and the three genin.

When they were done, she had them run a team drill where they tracked down a scroll hidden in the forest while avoiding traps she'd set out. By the end of it they were all a little worse for wear - Kurenai's traps were intense.

"Alright, good work," Kurenai said, giving them a smile. "We'll be leaving to collect a mission soon, but first, we need to have a team meeting. You're all familiar with Nariko's father?" Hinata and Shino nodded. "Good. Tsuneo-san is well known for his skills in stealth and evasion. He has offered to include the two of you in the lessons he'll be giving to Nariko while he's in town this month. You will show up here at seven am every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for these lessons. Do not disappoint me," she said in a warning tone, and they all nodded.

The next three weeks fell into a pattern. Nariko woke up, trained with her aunt and father in the mornings, sometimes with her team and sometimes without, ran team drills with Kurenai-sensei, and took on a D-rank mission in the afternoon. Saturday afternoons and Sundays her team didn't meet, and she spent all of her free time with her father.

Akemi and Taka had, to Suoh's and Nariko's chagrin, become a bit of a fixture in their house. When his aunt and mother were gone, which apparently was more often than not, he stayed with them. Nariko had taken to locking her bedroom door and window to keep him from glomping onto her in the middle of the night. She wouldn't mind letting a lonely kid bunk with her normally, but Akemi still followed her around with stars in his eyes and introduced her as his fiancé, so it felt a little creepy to let him cuddle her while she slept.

Nariko knew Tsuneo spent the time she was with her team going to meetings and catching up with people he hadn't seen in years, but he always made himself available when she wasn't busy. He also insisted on having her team and Naruto over for dinner almost every other day, claiming he wanted to get to know them.

Hinata and Shino were picking up the stealth exercises quickly under his tutelage, which wasn't surprising, really. They had good chakra control and were intelligent and light on their feet.

Which was how they found themselves stalking after Nara Shikaku in the middle of the day, with the mission objective to disturb every one of his attempted naps without him realizing who was responsible. Tsuneo called it their 'graduation exam,' but Nariko knew her father well enough to realize he really just wanted to torture Shikaku using them as the device.

So far they'd tripped a boy carrying a tray of sticky rice balls using ninja wire as he passed Shikaku napping lightly on a short wall that he'd stopped to rest at on his way into the village that morning. The rice balls had ended up all over a cranky Shikaku, who was forced to go all the way home to change before going into work. Then, they'd sent a rubber ball sailing through his office window at the perfect angle to smack into the side of his head where it was lying on his desk for a mid-morning snooze.

Shino's bugs had eaten through the legs of the couch in his office so that when he went to lie down on it during his lunch break, the front two legs had broken and sent him rolling to the floor. All of this was reported to them in whispers as Hinata used her Byakugan to spy on the jounin commander. Nariko found herself giggling uncontrollably along with Hinata, and even Shino seemed amused.

"Hmm, so you think my pain's funny, do you?" A deep rumbling voice said from behind them, and they all froze from their spot in the booth of the bakery that they'd chosen specifically because it was by the window that looked out over the administration building.

As one, they turned wide eyes towards an unimpressed, ruffled-looking Shikaku. "Um, what do you mean, sir?" Nariko squeaked, and Suoh gave a great sigh from where he was lying on her feet, obviously disgusted with her lying skills.

Shikaku just raised an eyebrow, and Hinata meeped and hunched down in her coat, and Nariko heard the telltale nervous buzz of Shino's insects. "W-we're j-just having some t-tea sir. A-are you in pain? I c-can g-go get a medic-nin if you want," Hinata whispered, and Nariko had to duck her head and let her hair slide forward to hide her smile, glad she'd left it down after practice. How did nobody else see how hilarious Hinata was?

Shikaku gave them a long, slow blink before slumping, letting his hands fall to his pockets. "What did the mutt promise you?" he muttered, and all three of them gave him identical innocent looks. Well, Nariko was pretty sure that was Shino's innocent face.

"We do not know what you mean. Why? Because we are just going out to tea together," Shino deadpanned, and Nariko felt Hinata's shoulders shaking next to her. Hopefully in laughter and not fear.

Shikaku narrowed his eyes. "Whatever it is, I'll double it if you promise to leave me in peace the rest of the day."

They glanced at each other before turning suspicious eyes to him. "Well, Shikaku-san, sir, I'm sure we have no idea what you mean. We have no plans to bother you this afternoon. After this, we plan on going to look at those new survival kits that just came into Kiyo's. It's too bad, but we just can't  _afford_ them on a genin's pay." Nariko sighed mournfully, and Hinata nodded along.

"Y-yes, it's a shame. T-they could really come in handy." Hinata added.

"A good survival kit could mean the difference between life and death on a mission," Shino added. Shikaku stared at them, looking unimpressed, before grumbling and leaving the restaurant. They looked at each other, then shrugged as the waitress brought them their third cup of tea.

"If we bribe Tsume-obasan, she might set up the water trap in the jounin bunks for us. I'm sure that's where he'll try next." They resumed their conversation on ways to interrupt the jounin commander's naps, but cut off quickly at a motion from Shino, who was facing the door.

Shikaku slouched up to them, and dropped three premier survival kits with perhaps a little too much force on the table between them. "There. Now leave me and my naps alone."

Nariko's jaw dropped open as he slumped his shoulders and moved quickly - for a Nara - back into the administration building. "He - he actually did it! I only requested that because I thought for sure he'd refuse." She bit her lip in guilt. Had she really just blackmailed Shikamaru's dad into buying her team highly expensive survival kits?

"Don't even think of returning those," Tsuneo's cheerful voice said from the next booth over. All three of them did a double take, because how long had he been there? "You earned them. Man, I haven't laughed that hard for awhile. I forgot how much fun Shikaku is to mess with. So how many of his naps did you ruin?"

"Three," Shino said, reaching up to adjust his glasses. "This means that you will spend three extra hours teaching us next week, Tsuneo-sensei."

"Three, huh? You make a pretty good team. I'd hate to be the guard to a vault somebody sent you to rob!" Nariko rolled her eyes at her father, but gave him a fond smile as he went into a play-by-play of Shikaku's facial expressions while he was buying the kits. Apparently Tsuneo had been doing some stalking of his own.

000

Two days before he was set to leave, Tsume threw her brother a goodbye party, and invited what must have been every member of the clan who was currently in-village. Her father was surrounded by a group of laughing and boisterous members of his clan around his own age, and her lips quirked up into a smile. Everybody loved her father - it was just a universal truth.

Nariko shifted uncomfortably next to Akemi, who had been flitting around like a social butterfly. He was obviously well-loved by the rest of the Inuzuka, and she couldn't help but wonder why he'd chosen her to glomp onto when his mother was out of town. It was obvious others would be happy to take him in.

Akemi had dragged her around to say hello to the people he knew, making sure everybody understood that she was his 'future wife,' which made the adults cackle. Instead of gently reprimanding him like she usually did, she gave small, uncomfortable smiles. Suoh stayed at her heels throughout the night, glowering at at everybody and generally just being scary.

Finally, she escaped to the back porch, and took a few deep breaths of fresh air, staring up at the stars and trying to ignore the tightness in her chest that was always there when she interacted with clan members outside her immediate circle. Unsurprisingly, Akemi and Taka followed her out after only a half an hour. The boy sat down next to her, unusually quiet for a few minutes before he spoke.

"I asked momma why you don't like the clan very much," he started, and Nariko jerked at his words. "She said that when you first came to live here, we didn't do right by you, and that now you'll have to learn to trust us before you'll let us into your heart."

Nariko gaped at him for a moment. Had her avoidance of most of the Inuzuka been that obvious? "It's not that I don't trust the clan," she said slowly, "or that I'm mad. Because I'm not mad, I just kind of assumed that nobody really wants me around." She cringed at how that sounded, and opened her mouth to somehow sound less pathetic, but he beat her to it.

"Isn't that just another way of saying you don't trust us?" Nariko blinked at his tiny, serious face. "That you don't trust us to not hurt you if you let us in?"

"That's - huh. You're actually pretty smart, kid," she said, and he grinned, serious demeanor gone. "Just think about it Nariko-nee! I bet if you tried, you'd make lots of friends in the clan!" And then he was racing back inside, leaving Nariko reeling in his wake.

Kurenai had given her the next day off from team practice so she could spend it with her father. They went on a walk deep into the Inuzuka forest until they came to a small pond. They were sweaty and hot by the time they got there, and they both quickly changed into suits they'd brought along just for this purpose. They spent the morning swimming and splashing before hauling themselves onto a rock to warm themselves. Suoh had gone off somewhere with Jin and Hao, so it was just the two of them.

"I don't want you to go," Nariko found herself saying, then cringed. She had always done her best to be brave about their situation, since Tsuneo already felt bad about leaving her behind. She knew that what he did was  _important_ to the village. He helped Konoha avoid wars, and identify threats that they wouldn't have even known existed until it was too late.

Her father was silent for a moment, then he reached over and gently pulled her against him, so that her head was lying on his shoulder, her wet hair spread out behind her. "I know, baby," he said. "I wish I could stay, too." Nariko blinked back tears when he kissed the top of her head. "Just remember, no matter what, that I love you more than anything. I thought about asking Sandaime-sama for a different assignment, but...there's a situation that needs to be taken care of, and I'm the only one that can do it."

Nariko swallowed and felt herself go cold despite the warm air around her. Something about her dad's voice...their sober mood was broken by two large bodies launching over them and into the water with a huge splash, covering both Nariko and Tsuneo in a wave water. They both sputtered, and then he was grinning down at her and grabbing her hand before they launched in after the two ninken, who desperately tried to paddle away from them. Nariko's fear was forgotten as Tsuneo picked her up and threw her at Hao so she could dunk him, her happy screams echoing through the forest as Suoh plowed into the water after them.

Later, when they were headed back, Nariko perched on her father's back, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "I love you too, dad," she whispered, and reveled in the soft smile he sent her way.

000

Nariko was silent at practice the day she said goodbye to her father. He had left with the morning light, giving her a long, firm hug and kissing her forehead before pulling back. Jin and Hao had dragged their feet and whined their protests, but in the end they were forced to say their goodbyes.

Tsuneo had knelt down in front of Suoh and said something in a serious voice, but Nariko hadn't been able to hear exactly what he said and her ninken's reply over the noise her father's partners were making as she hugged them goodbye. He had then put his hand on Suoh's head and given him a soft smile, and she had caught the last two words of their conversation. "Thank you," Tsuneo intoned, and Suoh nodded once.

And then he was gone, leaving Tsume, Kuromaru, Nariko, and Suoh standing in the predawn light. And if both of the Inuzuka women paused to wipe away tears before returning home, well, nobody had to know.

Shino and Hinata kept sending her worried looks, and Kurenai was extra gentle with her that day despite her obvious distraction. After they'd completed two D-rank missions - grocery shopping for an elderly man while his daughter was out of town and cleaning out the attic of a house whose owner had died without heirs, Kurenai then took them out to dinner to a small noodle house. Nariko's mood had improved a bit by then thanks to Hinata's gentle prodding and Shino's acerbic commentary on the dubious taste of the person who had owned the somewhat eclectic collection in the attic.

After they'd ordered, Kurenai smiled softly at them. "First of all, I wanted to let you know how impressed I am with you all. Not many genin your age are as hardworking as the three of you. You have also shown an impressive amount of teamwork thus far. I must say," she leaned forward and lowered her voice, "from what the other jounin-senseis have told me, I think I lucked out with you." Kurenai then leaned back, and Nariko bit her lip, pleasure at the praise pushing back what was left of her melancholy.

"Now, I'd like to discuss your schedules for the next few months. We will continue to meet at nine a.m. Monday through Friday for team training. However, we have almost met our required number of D-ranks, so we will push those back to one per day. I will expect you three to spend that time doing individual clan technique training," she said sternly, and they all nodded. "Now, you've recently had an hour and a half of training open on your calendar three days a week. Nariko, your father told me he's arranged for kenjutsu specialist to fill that time for you." She nodded, and tried not to dwell on why they now had that time available.

"Okay. Hinata, you mentioned an interest in learning some medical jutsu last time we talked. If you're still interested, a friend of mine said she'd let you shadow her at the hospital during those times. You should know, however, that you'll be expected to learn a lot in your free time," Kurenai warned. Nariko looked over at Hinata in shock.

"You never mentioned you were thinking of learning medical jutsu," she said, head cocked to the side, and the girl poked her fingers together, looking down.

"Um, I have always enjoyed creating salves and medicines for my clan," she said quietly. "I would also like to be able to heal you or Shino if you get hurt."

"That's really amazing, Hinata," Nariko said, and sent her a big smile. "I'll feel a lot better knowing you're there to bail me and Shino out of trouble!"

"This is true, because I expect that we will be specializing in something that will put us far from backup at times, and will need to be able to take care of ourselves." Shino added.

Kurenai gave a rueful grin. "And that leads into our next point. But first, Shino, you mentioned that you might be interested in also picking up some sort of weapon for close combat. Is this still true?" The boy nodded, and Kurenai hummed. "Okay, I can help you out with that - I have a few ideas. You and I will also meet at the training grounds when Nariko meets with her kenjutsu specialist."

After he agreed, they took a break as their food arrived, and tucked in with enthusiasm. When they slowed down, Kurenai sat back with a sigh, then pinned them with a look. "The Hokage wants me to come to him with your proposed team specialization by the end of the week. This is a pretty unusual situation, because usually he makes that choice. However, the three of you have shown some unexpected interests, so he'd like to give you this chance." She paused as their plates were taken away and their waiter set down a check. Then Kurenai was holding a stack of papers, which seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Here is a list of every type of team that Konoha has created since it's inception. You three are to read through them  _carefully,_ and identify one that you're well suited for and would be interested in pursuing, along with two backup options."

They nodded, and then trooped out after saying goodbye, Shino shoving the stack of papers into his coat after listening to a lecture about not letting them fall into anybody else's hands.

"Akemi made cake today if you guys wanna come over and look over those specialties and have dessert. You could even stay over," Nariko said, desperately hoping they'd say yes so she didn't have to face just how empty her house would feel without her father, Hao, and Jin. To her relief, they both nodded, and Suoh grumbled but agreed to bring messages to their families to let them know their children would be staying at the Inuzuka compound. Nariko giggled a little when he showed up with two overnight bags clenched in his teeth and an annoyed expression a few minutes after they'd settled in her room with plates of cake and glasses of milk.

They looked at the large pile of papers with no small amount of trepidation, until Hinata hesitatingly reached forward and divided them into three equal piles. "Um, maybe we should each look through a pile and pull out all of the ones we have the skills for, o-or could easily acquire. Then we can look through those together?" she said in a nervous voice.

Nariko grinned, flashing her fangs at her friend. "Hinata, you're a genius!" she said, and grabbed the pile closest to her. After a few moments she scrambled to her feet with a muttered 'be right back' and jogged to her aunt's office to grab three pens and three highlighters before returning and handing them out.

She then started going through her stack, first removing the ones that blatantly would not fit their team. She raised an eyebrow at Seduction and grimaced at Assassination, and almost snorted at Infiltration. Yeah, she and Hinata would not do well in the first and none of them were suited for long term infiltration. She set them aside, and after a moment of thought kept Assassination, since they did technically hit a lot of the skills requirements.

Forty five minutes later, Nariko had kept two options - Assassination and Tracking - scribbling notes and highlighting a few things that popped out at her. When she was done, she set them down and stretched. A few minutes later both Hinata and Shino were finished as well.

"I believe we should all exchange those we have in the 'keep' pile, and make sure we agree all of them are something we could logically succeed at as a team." Nariko nodded, and took Hinata's one 'keep,' which turned out to be Scouting and Battle Intel. Nariko read through it, and saw it was a good fit, though Hinata had highlighted that it was generally used in wartime or along borders that were seeing a lot of skirmishes.

Nariko cocked her head to the side at Shino's three inclusions. Acquisition, Espionage, and Diplomacy. After a few moments of thought, she had to admit he was right - they did fit the last two, at least on paper, though Nariko wasn't sure they were well suited to Espionage, having intimate knowledge on the reality of it. Diplomacy she could see, as she'd spent a large portion of her childhood traveling and interacting with her father's eclectic collection of contacts, and Hinata and Shino were heirs to their clan and had been drilled on politics from birth.

When she read over Acquisition, she almost laughed out loud as she remembered what Tsuneo had said to them the other day. ' _You make a pretty good team. I'd hate to be the guard to a vault somebody sent you to rob!'_

An Acquisition Team, according what the description on the page said, was basically a glorified band of thieves. She ran her eyes over the description and list of strengths and skills.

_Acquisition teams are units that specialize in the covert procuration of sensitive objects or people using clandestine or subversive methodology._

_Suggested skills include:_

_Stealth and Evasion_

_Tracking_

_Close Combat_

_Communications_

_Interrogation_

_Speed and Dexterity_

_Sleight of Hand_

Nariko almost giggled at the last one, but held back. "Okay," she said. "What if we all rated these, with one as your preferred specialization, and six as your least preferred? We'll all write it down, and then open them to read at the same time so that nobody influences anybody else's decision?"

Hinata nodded, and Shino inclined his head. "That is a good idea, because then nobody will feel like their opinion was not taken into account."

Nariko reached over to her bookshelf and grabbed an empty notebook, ripping out three pages and handing them out. Then, they all turned their backs to each other and spent a few minutes scribbling down their choices. When they had all turned back around, Nariko couldn't resist throwing her head back and laughing.

Shino

Acquisition Scouting and Battle Intel Diplomacy Tracking Espionage Assassination

Hinata

Acquisition Tracking Diplomacy Scouting and Battle Intel Espionage Assassination

Nariko

Acquisition Tracking Scouting and Battle Intel Diplomacy Espionage Assassination

They all stared at each other, and Nariko huffed. "Guess I wasn't the only one who remembered what dad said to us the other day," she said ruefully, and Hinata smiled. Shino's cheek twitched in a way that Nariko was becoming fairly sure meant he also was smiling under his collar.

"Our first choice is clear, then. We will request Acquisition. As for our second and third choices, Hinata and Nariko, you both had Tracking in your first three. Hinata and I also both included Diplomacy. Both Nariko and I included Scouting and Battle Intel in our top three. We should choose between those."

"Maybe we should look over the required skillsets, and choose the ones that we hit the most points on," Nariko suggested.

Shino tilted his head in acknowledgement. In the end, they'd added Tracking and Diplomacy, since none of them were more familiar in Battle Tactics as a skill than what they'd been taught in the academy. That seemed like an important skill to have if you were responsible for tracking and reporting on movements and plans behind enemy lines. Seeing how late it was, they quickly cleaned up and went to change into their pajamas.

Nariko turned her head and hid her smile behind her hair when she saw that Shino was wearing a soft sweater with a high collar that still hid his face, and his sunglasses were firmly in place. She made up two futons on the floor, and ended up sitting with them and going over the list one more time to make sure they were positive on their choices.

She woke to a horrified screech, eyes popping open in alarm. She looked over to Akemi in confusion, who was pointing at her with a shaking finger, face a mask of horror. Confused, she looked down, and blinked when she saw she was tangled in a pile of limbs. Her lips quirked up when Shino pushed his head into the pillow and his kikaichu buzzed in annoyance. Hinata was blinking at her sleepily from where she had fallen asleep with her head on Nariko's stomach.

"You - you're sleeping  _with another man!"_ Akemi cried out finally, and Nariko realized he was actually pointing at Shino, who was attempting to disentangle himself from her hair. She stared at him for a moment, before looking at the clock and then rubbing a hand across her forehead.

"Akemi, it's too early for this. What are you doing here anyway? I didn't think you stayed over last night." She grumbled.

"Well, I  _was_ going to make you breakfast, but maybe I'll just let Shino take care of it for you!" He said, putting his nose in the air and flouncing out of the room.

"That boy is odd," Shino said after a moment, surprising a giggle out of Hinata.

000

Nariko studied the woman who was going to teach her kenjutsu. She looked...average. Average height, mousy brown hair pulled into a bun, a pleasant but bland face, and hazel eyes. Of course, Nariko knew better than to think the woman was simply average in her specialtization, but all the times she had imagined what her new tutor might look like, it wasn't this. She was wearing the standard jounin uniform and had a katana strapped to her waist.

Kurenai had been talking to her in low tones when Shino and Nariko arrived at their normal training grounds, giving her a moment to study the woman before they turned their attention to the two students. Hinata had separated from them to go to the hospital and meet her new mentor, and would be joining them later, so it was just the two of them and Suoh.

"Ah, Shino-kun, Nariko-chan. This is Futo Bunko. She'll be working with Nariko on her kenjutsu. Come on, Shino, you and I will be across the training grounds. I think you'll like what I have in mind."

Shino murmured a greeting to Bunko before sedately following Kurenai across the field.

"It's nice to meet you Funo-san. Please take care of me," Nariko said, bowing at the waist.

The woman hummed, and when Nariko straightened she was studying her and Suoh with intense eyes. "You may call me Bunko-sensei for the duration of your study under me."

"Yes, Bunko-sensei."

"I'm assuming you have the double kodachi your father told me about somewhere? Along with the bokken I instructed him to obtain?" Nariko nodded, and quickly pulled a scroll from her pouch, fumbling a bit in her haste and blushing at her clumsiness, before kneeling on the ground and laying the scroll flat. She pumped chakra into it, and her mother's swords and two practice bokken appeared.

Bunko studied the kodachi with a practiced eye, unsheathing them and moving through swings and thrusts with them so quickly and efficiently that Nariko couldn't help but be impressed. This woman obviously knew her way around swords.

"Okay," she said after a few minutes. "These are well made. If you serve them well, they will serve you well." She said the last with a glance at Nariko out of the corner of her eye, but there was power and a warning behind the look, and Nariko bowed her head to let her know she understood.

"Okay, seal the kodachi. Until I give you permission, you are not to don them or use them. You will only work with the bokken. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Bunko-sense," Nariko said, and fought to keep a pout off her face, hoping it didn't take  _too_ long to get to that point in her training. The woman's lip twitched up in the first show of humor since Nariko had met her, telling the girl that her disappointment had probable been obvious. Before she could try and apologize, Bunko motioned her to stand.

"Okay, I know that your mother worked with you on this when you were younger. Show me what you know." Nariko brightened, and Suoh nudged her with his nose and went to sit down a good distance away from the area they were in. She gripped the handles of the bokken lightly, the way her mother had taught her, and moved into the stance that her body only seemed to half-remember.

Tsuneo hadn't allowed her to practice the old katas without an instructor present, as he didn't want her to misremember anything and teach herself bad habits. Apparently this advice was sound. Bunko spent the next hour correcting her stances with clipped orders and light touches, and then ran her through drills until her arms ached from swinging her swords over and over again in the same motions. If she did it wrong, Bunko had her start the drill over from the beginning. Finally, the woman motioned for her to stop.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she was studying Nariko with a calculating look on her face. Suoh stood when he saw they were finished and wandered over to her.

"Well, I admit you need some work," Bunko finally said, and Nariko knew she visibly deflated at that. Suoh rumbled a bit and leaned against her, and her new instructor rolled her eyes. Nariko gaped at her - the woman had been so stoic throughout the whole practice. "Oh, calm down, I'm only being honest."

She walked a slow circle around Nariko, who forced herself to stay still as Bunko crossed out of her line of sight, straining her ears so she could still listen to the barely-there rustle of fabric that marked her passing. "You have a good instinct for it, either that or your body does somewhat remember what Naya-san taught you."

"You knew my mom?" Nariko blurted, head snapping to the side where Bunko's meandering stride had taken her.

"I met her on a mission where I was dispatched as backup for your father years ago, yes. I had just become a tokubetsu jounin at the time, and your mother and I had some interesting conversations about swordsmanship. I believe it's why Tsuneo-san requested this favor of me - I am somewhat familiar with Naya-san's style of fighting. I even worked with double kodachi for awhile just to see if I could."

Nariko beamed at her, and again the woman's lips twitched up on one side before she dropped back into lecture mode. "You'll be an interesting pupil. Not just because of the unusual choice of the double kodachi, but also because we'll need to take your partner into account." Her eyes became faraway and calculating. "I'd like you to show up an hour earlier next time, so that I can watch how you and Suoh-san work together. Then, we'll begin to incorporate him into your fighting style. You will also learn to fight solo, of course, so that you're prepared for any situation."

Nariko nodded, and Suoh made a pleased huffing sound next to her. "Yes, Bunko-sensei! I look forward to it!"

The woman gave her a full smile for the first time, and Nariko blinked before returning it. Her smile was actually very pretty. "Okay," Bunko said, straightening as Kurenai and Shino, the latter looking a little ruffled and sweaty, approached behind them. "I can see we are almost out of time. Let's go over things you can work on outside of our lessons. For now I request you not do the katas and drills without me present, until I am certain you have perfected them so as not to learn any bad habits. You're already quite flexible, which is normal for your clan as you need that flexibility for your techniques. However, you should push yourself even further - with the style I suspect we'll be using you'll need it. I'd like to show you some extra arm exercises to do every morning and every evening, if Kurenai would allow me the few extra minutes today."

Kurenai nodded as Hinata came running into the clearing, eyes bright and happy. "Of course. In fact, we'll join you - upper arm strength is never a bad thing for a ninja in the field."

After all three of them had arms like jelly, and even Kurenai-sensei looked a little sweaty, Bunko bowed. "I think I will enjoy teaching you Nariko-san. Please, give your father my regards when you write to him next. Also, you are to keep your bokken strapped to you at all times, except when sleeping, unless you are instructed by a superior to remove them."

Nariko bowed back. "Yes, Bunko-sensei. Thank you for your hard work."

After the woman had disappeared into the trees, she and Hinata indulged in some giddy jumping up and down while clasping hands. After a moment, they each grabbed one of Shino's hands. He didn't jump and squeal, but he did allow them to move his arms up and down with their own, and Nariko was pretty sure he was smiling under his collar.

"I'm going to be a kenjutsu master!" Nariko said with a laugh.

"I'm going to be a medic-nin," Hinata said, her voice quieter than Nariko's but no less excited.

They both turned to Shino, who sighed but gave in. "And I will learn to master the art of the stiletto." They both stopped and gave him identical head tilts, causing Kurenai to cover a smile at how adorable her genin were.

Shino gently extracted his hands, then did a little flick of both wrists - a bit awkwardly, like he was still working out the mechanics - and two long, thin, needle-like blades appeared from his sleeves. Nariko's eyes widened, and before she really thought it through, she'd latched onto his wrist and pushed up his sleeve.

He stiffened but didn't pull away as two leather bands, one at his wrist and one at his forearm, with a metal shute that housed the stiletto attached. Nariko caught a glimpse of what looked like a spring loaded trigger situated where he could easily reach it with a flick of his fingers but not easily trigger the apparatus by accident.

Nariko froze for a moment when she realized what she had done, and quickly dropped his arm and stepped back, face red with embarrassment. To uncover a part of a shinobi without their permission was...well, it was Not Done. She'd just gotten so comfortable with him lately that for a moment she'd treated him like he was part of the Inuzuka clan, where personal space was nonexistent. She knew the Aburame clan was the exact opposite, however.

Nariko bowed at the waist. "I - I'm so sorry Shino! I wasn't even thinking." After a moment, he sighed.

"I am not upset. Why? Because your actions showed that you are comfortable with me and consider me a friend." Cautiously, she peeked up at him past the loose curls that had flopped forward over her face. Hinata was looking mortified for her, and Kurenai still looked disapproving, but Shino...

Shino had held out his arm towards her in invitation. "You may look to your heart's content."

Nariko straightened, eyes widening as she reached forward to tentatively grasp his arm and push up the sleeve. After a moment, Hinata, inched forward as well, and they were soon engrossed in watching him engage and disengage the stiletto. Nariko had noticed the small black dots that were present in his flesh at intervals up his arm, but didn't comment.

Shino, ever observant and blunt, was the one to address the issue. "Those black dots are the points in my body where my kikaichu enter and leave," he said bluntly.

Nariko hesitantly reached out a finger, and when he didn't say anything, ran it across one of them. It was smooth, just like the rest of his skin, where she had expected a lump.

"Does it hurt?" Hinata asked a little timidly.

"It does not, though they did when I was younger as my body adjusted," he said calmly, but the buzzing of his insects gave away his discomfort. Nariko casually pulled the sleeve back down, and the tension in his shoulders relaxed.

"Well, that's pretty awesome, Shino. I think it'll probably work well for a thief," she teased, and Hinata giggled.

"A thief?" Kurenai asked, and found herself the focus of three sets of eyes.

"Oh, that's right, Kurenai-sensei. We've chosen our specialization," Nariko said with a cheeky grin.

She wondered a few minutes later, as Kurenai left to convince the Sandaime that they'd be the perfect Acquisition team, what the Hokage's reaction would be to two clan heirs and the niece of a clan head deciding to become glorified burglars.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikamaru and Akemi meet, and Team Eight gets their first mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and kudos, guys. You're all the best. This chapter was so fun to write - I hope it's as fun to read. :)

Shikamaru yawned, not trying to cover the fact that he was completely uninterested in the team bonding Asuma was forcing them into. He'd known Ino and Chouji practically since birth, why would he need to bond more with them? Such a pain.

Currently they were waiting in line for ice cream while Ino lectured Chouji about not getting the large size again. Shikamaru tuned her out when she started loudly listing the low-calorie flavor options, and turned to look out the window, perking up a bit when he saw Team Eight walking down the street from the direction of the administration building.

From their relaxed postures and slightly mussed appearance, he assumed they had also just finished for the day. Shikamaru let his eyes linger on Nariko, one hand coming up to play with the cloud-dotted wristband she'd given him over a month ago. He hadn't seen her since the day they were assigned their teams, probably because she was spending all of her extra time with her father...who, now that he thought about it, had probably left as his allotted month was up.

Her new clothes looked nice on her, he could admit, and couldn't help but blush a little when he noticed that her pants and jacket hugged her a little more closely than her old shorts and t-shirt combo had. Her hair was braided back with a few loose curls framing her face, which highlighted her delicate facial features and clan tattooes, though the huge ninken at her side and the two boken strapped to her back took away any illusion of actual delicacy. Add in the way her hitai-ate was being used as a headband and the whole effect was, well, cute.

He sighed in annoyance at the way his heartbeat sped up at just the sight of her. Hadn't he always planned on finding an average woman? Nariko was the opposite of average. It was going to be such a drag dealing with all of the competition.

He raised his eyebrows as Nariko brightened, then leaned in to whisper in Hinata's ear while pointing down the street at something. Lazily, he scanned the area, and immediately saw what had drawn her interest. Team Seven had come around the corner in front of them, and were now walking down the road just a few feet from the entrance of the ice cream shop. Naruto was bickering with Sasuke while Sakura stared at the Uchiha boy with hearts in her eyes and their sensei ignored all of them in favor of the book he was reading.

A glance back at Nariko showed that she had a wicked smile on her face - and how did he find that adorable, when it definitely meant trouble? She turned to Suoh and spoke to him, and he shook out his fur and opened his mouth, letting his tongue loll out in apparent excitement at whatever she'd said.

Shikamaru straightened a little to make sure he'd get a good view of whatever happened next. Most people assumed Nariko was always sweet and quiet, and didn't realize that she had a mischievous streak that ran deep. It was never malicious or cruel, but it was there.

Nariko jumped easily into a crouch on Suoh's back, ignoring her sensei's curious look, and the dog took off down the street towards Team Seven. She leaned forward in excitement, a sharp grin that flashed her slightly elongated canines appearing on her face. When they were about ten feet from the oblivious (well, probably Hatake knew she was there) team, she launched herself from Suoh's back and tackled Naruto in a perfectly executed move that had Shikamaru feeling both impressed and tired by association.

He chuckled as Naruto let out a shriek while Nariko bore him down to the ground, her laughter sounding disturbingly like her aunt's. Sasuke and Sakura had jumped back, looking alarmed, and Kakashi lowered his book to watch as Naruto started yelling at Nariko and they devolved into a wrestling match.

"Aw, Naruto, you should be more aware of your surroundings!" Nariko sing-songed as she pushed his face into the dirt. Suoh was doing his odd chuff-laugh on the side, and Kurenai had come to stand next to Kakashi, looking amused at her student's antics while Hinata calmly went to separate the two, obviously used to their behavior, and Shino stood watching with his hands in his pockets.

Nariko looked up when Hinata said something, and for a moment her dark brown eyes met Shikamaru's through the shop window. He swallowed, and somehow managed a smirk and eyebrow raise instead of flailing around like his body wanted to.

"Shikamaru-kun, it's our turn to order! Pay attention!" Ino yelled, then shrieked when she saw what had drawn his attention. "Sasuke-kun!"

He swore she left a cloud of dust in her wake as she darted out the door. Shikamaru sighed and turned towards the counter, where the bored-looking civilian girl asked him what flavor he wanted. His eyes darted over the long list of options posted and his shoulders drooped.

"Troublesome. I'll just have vanilla."

"All these flavors to choose from, and you pick vanilla? That's just wrong," a light voice said, and his head turned so fast that his neck gave a small twinge. Nariko stood next to him, hands clasped behind her back and a grin on her face. She had a streak of dirt on her nose and he had to shove his hands more firmly into his pockets to keep from reaching out to rub it off for her.

"You have a better suggestion?" He drawled, ignoring Asuma as his sensei's eyes darted between the two of them.

"Hmm," she brought a finger up to her bottom lip and turned to the menu to study it, furrowing her brow. "He'll have the Raspberry Roulette," Nariko said to the woman at the counter, and grinned at his questioning glance. "What? You like tart better than you like sweet," she said. Asuma paid for his team's ice cream, as Shikamaru had been the last to order.

Instead of turning away, Shikamaru looked at the menu, ignoring the impatient people in line behind him. "My friend will have the almond chocolate swirl," he decided, and put money on the counter before Nariko could argue.

Asuma let out a choked laugh, but Shikamaru ignored him as they waited for their cups of ice cream. Nariko blushed a little when he handed her the cup with her flavor, and they left the ice cream shop to join the other two teams. Shikamaru sent Sasuke a look full of pity when he saw Sakura and Ino were hanging onto his arms and glaring daggers at each other over his head.

Naruto, covered in road dust from Nariko's attack, was talking happily at Shino, who was inclining his head towards the blonde and nodding at random intervals. Their senseis seemed to be having a passive aggressive conversation about whose team was the best.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru said, and Nariko giggled, then grabbed his arm and led him over to the side of the building. Looking down at where her small hand was wrapped around his bare arm, he couldn't help but rethink his stance on team bonding activities.

000

Nariko leaned against the wall, sighing in relief at the shade it offered, and took a bite of her ice cream. It was delicious - almonds were one of her favorite things, after all. She studied Shikamaru from under her lashes as he stood in front of her and took a lazy bite of his own treat, feeling a little proud of herself when he hummed his approval.

He must have picked up on it, because he quirked his lips up on one side. "Better than vanilla," he admitted, and she laughed.

"Thanks for the ice cream," she said, cursing the blush that she knew was on her cheeks. She wondered if him buying it for her meant something, or if he was just being friendly. He smelled happy when she was around, but...

"Aa." They were silent for awhile as they ate, before he spoke again. "I like your outfit. It suits you," and now she knew her blush was probably out of control.

"T-thanks," she managed to squeak out, wondering if this is how Hinata always felt.

"Your hair looks nice this way, too." He reached out with his free hand to touch her braid, which had fallen over her shoulder. Alarmed, she dropped her spoon in her bowl and grabbed his wrist right before he touched it. He froze, and looked uncharacteristically unsure. "Sorry, I -"

"No, it's fine. It's just - it has spikes braided in," she said apologetically. "Here, I'll show you." She pushed her ice cream into his free hand, then carefully picked up her braid, separating a few strands until the dull metal of a spike could be seen. "Tsume-obasan said I could either wear it like this or cut it until I'm good enough to avoid people grabbing it in combat," she explained, and giggled at his look of alarm.

"Don't cut it," he blurted, then looked to the side in what she was starting to recognize as embarrassment.

"Oh? You like my hair long?" she teased gently, wondering where in the world she was getting the confidence to  _flirt_ from. She must still be giddy from her kenjutsu lesson.

He smirked, recovering quickly. "You just wouldn't be you without all the curls," he said, and she laughed again, then darted forward and grabbed a spoonful of his ice cream, popping it in her mouth and humming in pleasure at the cool tart flavor.

"Hey," he said mildly, and she grinned cheekily, before grabbing a spoonful of her own flavor and holding it for him to try. He raised an eyebrow, but leaned forward take the spoon into his mouth, keeping his eyes on hers the whole time.

 _What am I doing?_ She thought to herself, a little surprised at her own daring. But then, she always got a little strange (stupid, according to Suoh) when she was around Shikamaru.

"It's good," he said in a low voice that had her brain blanking out for a moment. She opened her mouth to say kami-knows-what, but was cut off by a small blur tackling Shikamaru, whose eyes widened comically right before he hit the ground.

For a moment, Nariko gaped in shock as their ice cream went flying, spattering against the ground. "Stay away from Nariko-nee! She's  _my fiancé_ , you poacher!"

Shikamaru put a hand up to ward against the tiny ball of fury that was sitting on his chest, obviously not wanting to hurt a small child despite the fact that Akemi was currently trying to do some damage to him.

"Akemi!" Nariko said, shocked, "Stop it!" A tiny brown ball raced past her, and Taka latched onto Shikamaru's calf below the hem of his pants with a growl. Shikamaru gritted his teeth in pain, and Nariko immediately dropped out of her shock. Striding over to them, she grabbed Akemi by the back of his shirt, and firmly grasped Taka by her scruff, letting out a deep growl after feeding chakra into her vocal chords - something that Inuzuka with a bonded ninken were able to do. Both immediately went slack at the sound and she stood, lifting and turning them to face her.

Nariko pulled her upper lip back, and they cringed away from her. "Akemi," she said, giving him a little shake. "What were you thinking, attacking somebody for no reason! And a fellow leaf shinobi - one of my precious comrades.  _For shame."_

His eyes filled with tears, but she remained unmoved, as she could smell Shikamaru's blood from where Taka had bitten him. "It's your fault!" the little boy yelled, and she blinked in shock. "You're  _my Nariko-nee,_ but I found you in bed with another man this morning! And now you're - you're feeding this usurper and flirting and  _you're my Nariko-nee!"_ Taka gave a defiant bark of agreement. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder where a seven year old was learning words like usurper and poacher, and made a mental note to investigate his reading list.

Nariko didn't lose her temper often, but she found herself completely out of patience as Akemi's voice reached the people standing on the street, who were snickering. She gave them both one good hard shake and showed them her teeth again. Wide-eyed, unused to seeing her as anything but gentle, they both cringed.

"Akemi! We are not engaged, and you need to stop telling people that. More importantly, you allowed your ninken to bite an innocent person over a silly imagined rivalry. You know better! You're in the Academy now - how can you expect to become a ninja when you dishonor your clan with your actions?" She wasn't yelling, but she knew from experience - her mother had been terrifying when angry - that her calm, cold tone was much more effective.

"You will return to the compound immediately, and tell whoever is in charge of the kennels this week that you will be responsible for cleaning them every day for seven nights." His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to argue, but snapped it shut at the look she gave him.

"And if I  _ever_ hear of you attacking a leaf citizen without provocation in such a manner again, you'll be doing it every day for a month, and I'll be having a serious conversation with your mother about the need for you to repeat a year at the Academy - do you understand me?"

Both Akemi and Taka nodded, looking ashamed and generally miserable, and with a sigh she lowered them to the ground and knelt in front of them. "Remember, your comrades are precious, and must be treated that way. You understand, Akemi-kun?" she asked in a gentle voice, quoting something her father had once said to her.

"I - yes Nariko-nee," he whispered, sniffling and looking at the ground. "I - I'm really sorry!" Taka barked her agreement. The last of her anger evaporated at their miserable faces.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," she said, and for a moment he looked mutinous, before turning and bowing to Shikamaru, who was sitting up and leaning back on his palms, watching the drama unfold before him with a raised eyebrow and seeming unconcerned about the small puncture marks on his calf.

"I'm very sorry, shinobi-san," he muttered, and Taka gave a sullen bark.

"I guess we all do stupid things for love, kid," Shikamaru finally mumbled, and Nariko couldn't help but send him a thankful smile.

"Well, I believe you have some kennels to clean," Nariko said sternly, standing and putting her hands on her hips. "So you better get going if you're going to make it to the house in time for dinner."

Akemi's head jerked up, obviously surprised that he was still wanted at her house, and she just raised an eyebrow at him. "I - right! You can count on us!" Akemi cheered. He darted forward and gave her a quick hug around her middle, smirking at a scowling Shikamaru as he did so, before he took off down the street, Taka on his heels.

Nariko immediately moved to Shikamaru's side. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, helping him up and putting his arm around her shoulders. "I had no idea he would take his crush that far."

Nariko winced when she saw Shikamaru's sensei standing a few feet away with his arms crossed over his chest, looking annoyed. "You know I could file a complaint for that," he drawled, and Nariko looked down at her feet.

"Maa, Asuma-sensei, don't be troublesome. Nariko handled it. I actually felt bad for the kid at the end," Shikamaru said, and she tightened the arm around his waist in gratitude. "Actually, I could see what everybody was talking about when they said that her aunt is fierce when she's mad. Must be where Nariko got it from."

Nariko blinked at that description of her - she'd never been compared to her aunt before. Though, she had to admit she was probably emulating the way Tsume doled out punishments to misbehaving clan members. "I'll take you to the hospital -" she started, and Shikamaru groaned.

"Ugh, the hospital is such a drag. Can't you just wrap it up? It's not that bad." Nariko glanced at Kurenai, who just shrugged. Naruto for some reason had his arms crossed over his chest and was scowling at Nariko. Her brows furrowed in confusion, but she turned her attention to helping Shikamaru sit on a bench, and kneeled in front of him.

"You're kind of scary when you're upset," he said, and winced as she ran fingers over the puncture marks on his leg. They wouldn't need stitches, but they looked painful. Taka was small, but even young ninken partners could bite hard.

She ducked her head and shrugged, sitting next to him as Kurenai and Asuma took over the first aide.

"So," he said after a moment, and something about his tone had her glancing over at him. She bit her lip at the sharp look in his eyes. Of course he was mad - a member of her clan attacked him just for speaking to her. "What's this about the brat finding you with a man in your bed?" Nariko choked on her spit, and Kurenai and Asuma both shot her interested looks.

"That's what I want to know!" Naruto finally burst out from where Hinata and Shino had been barely keeping him quiet a few feet away. Ino and Sakura were both leaning in, probably eager for gossip, and Sasuke and Kakashi had both disappeared at some point, thank kami.

Nariko closed her eyes and prayed for patience when she imagined the rumors that would probably be going around about her by the end of the day.  _You can't kill Akemi, he's just a kid,_ she thought to herself.

"That would be me," Shino said in his deadpan tone, and Shikamaru's eyes widened as they darted to the boy, and his lips tightened.

"So, what, you two are dating?" Shikamaru asked in a low voice. He had slumped down and was glaring off to the side, and Nariko frowned at him in confusion and a bit of annoyance. Why would she flirt with Shikamaru if she was dating Shino? Asuma snorted and Kurenai rolled her eyes as she cleaned out Shikamaru's wounds.

"Do not jump to conclusions," Shino said. "Last night Hinata, Nariko, and myself stayed up late working on a project. Because we were all tired, we fell asleep without realizing it on the same futon. Akemi came to wake up Nariko for breakfast and was unhappy to find us asleep together."

"You actually think I'd - I'd do something like that with somebody? I'm pretty young," Nariko muttered, feeling weirdly hurt. Shikamaru, who had relaxed along with Naruto at the explanation, stiffened again and turned to look at her, his scent changing to one of slight panic as she went to stand. He reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"No, I guess I was just surprised." She pursed her lips, but allowed him to tug her back to her seat. She watched in silence as Kurenai wrapped his leg. Her good mood from earlier was completely ruined, and she gave Hinata a thankful look when the girl sat down next to her. Shikamaru kept darting her inscrutable glances from the corner of his eye.

Kurenai stood with a sigh. "That should be fine, but if it becomes swollen or hot, go get it looked at immediately," she said sternly. Naruto bounced around Nariko as soon as she stood, and she felt herself cheering up a little as he got into her space to grab at her bokken, cringing as Kurenai scolded him for grabbing at a shinobi's weapons without permission. Nariko giggled at his hangdog look, and reached to pull them from the straps on her back and hand them over.

"Don't swing them around here, you could hit somebody," she warned. "You can come over for dinner tonight and try them out then."

Hinata giggled as he struck what he probably thought was a cool pose, holding them in front of him, and Nariko's lip twitched. A touch to her hand had her turning to look at Shikamaru, who tilted his head, silently asking her to step to the side to talk to him.

She noticed he was still limping slightly, and despite the fact that she was still annoyed with him, put her hand under his elbow. When they were out of hearing range, he put his hands in his pockets after she let go of his arm.

Nariko squirmed a bit under his gaze, and after a moment he cleared his throat. "I hurt your feelings," he stated, and she glared at her feet and didn't answer. "Troublesome woman. I don't think you're the type to let random guys in your bed. It was a knee jerk reaction. I guess I was just worried about you," he mumbled.

Nariko narrowed her eyes at him and tilted her head to the side in question, but before she could say anything Naruto, Hinata, and Shino had come over. "Come on, Nariko-chan! I wanna see what you learned from your tutor today."

Nariko smiled at him. "Alright, let's go." she hesitated, and turned to Shikamaru, finding her ire had completely evaporated. He had been a bit of an idiot, but Hana was always telling her boys were kind of stupid about girls. "Why don't you come over, too? My cousin will be there, and she can take a look at your leg. She's a medic-nin," she explained.

His lips lifted in a half smile. "Aa. Asuma-sensei, I'll be heading out now," he raised his voice for the last part, and Asuma waved him away from where he was talking to Kurenai. Nariko moved next to him and put his arm over her shoulders to help him to her house.

Dinner was a little awkward, especially since Tsume came home and immediately pinned a whimpering Taka to the floor before picking her up and snatching the sleeve of an equally terrified Akemi, dragging him out of the room as she started her lecture.

"You wanna know what ruins a day? When the head of another clan pops in on me and asks me why one of  _my ninken_ bit his heir for no apparent reason!" Her voice faded, and Hana rolled her eyes from where she'd already started removing the bandages on a half-asleep Shikamaru's leg, muttering about how boys were idiots.

Akemi spent most of dinner glaring at Shikamaru, who was sitting between Nariko and Shino. The Nara just raised an eyebrow at him, and sent a smug smirk whenever he succeeded in getting a giggle or blush out of Nariko. All in all, he counted the day as a win. Now he'd just need to figure out a way to break the news to his parents that he intended to court an Inuzuka. Knowing his father, he'd already figured it out.

000

"So," the Sandaime said, fingers threaded together and resting against his chin as he stared unwaveringly at the three genin in front of him. "You'd like to specialize in acquisition."

They all three answered in the affirmative, and Nariko did her best not to squirm under the man's heavy regard. After a moment he hummed, and broke his gaze to look through the paperwork on his desk.

"Alright, it's not exactly what I expected but Kurenai-san made a good argument for it. I'm going to give you a C-rank mission to test your efficacy as an acquisition team. If you do well, I have some extra training in mind for you."

The way Kurenai's scent and pulse spiked in irritation had Nariko tilting her head towards her sensei in curiosity, but she just gave a small shake of her head. Shino and Hinata didn't miss the exchange, but Nariko could only shrug. Now wasn't the time to get into whatever had Kurenai annoyed.

"Ah, here we are. There's a group of merchants on the border that recently bought out an estate sale. Unfortunately, the son of the dead only returned at the end of the sale. Apparently there were a few vials of his father's blood in the lot that he'd like removed from the merchants' possession, for reasons I cannot reveal to you."

He handed the mission scroll to Kurenai, and she opened it with a frown. "I need your team to get into the camp unseen and retrieve the blood samples. Success of this mission requires that nobody knows you were there," the Hokage finished.

Kurenai hummed. "Isn't the retrieval of something like that enough to increase the rating of the mission?" She asked in a mild voice that had all three of the genin inching away from her.

"Nobody else should realize its value. We only know because the son of the man contacted us," he explained kindly. "Sending out a team of genin won't raise any alarms the way a more powerful team would."

Kurenai tipped her head in understanding. "I see. Thank you for giving my team a chance to prove themselves Hokage-sama." Nariko, Shino, and Hinata all muttered their thanks as well, and bowed before following their teacher out of the tower into the sunlight.

"Okay," Kurenai said with a small, excited smile that had Nariko grinning back at her, and Shino's bugs increasing the intensity of their buzzing. "This is our first C-rank, so I expect you all to stay alert, and take it seriously. We'll meet at the gates in two hours. Pack for a week of travel."

They nodded eagerly, and Nariko swung onto Suoh's back after waving goodbye to her team, closing her eyes and breathing deeply as the world rushed by her. She made quick work of packing, though she did pause as she grabbed a travel scroll from the hall closet, remembering for a moment the last time she'd used one, before shaking off the memories and shoving it into her small pack, along with ration bars, a change of clothes and a few other odds and ends.

She scribbled out a quick note for Tsume and Hana, then took the time to make and eat a sandwich and head out to the kennels to say goodbye to a few of the ninken she'd gotten close to in the last few years. She also wrote out a quick missive to Bunko-sensei letting her know she was out on a mission and wouldn't make her lessons that week, and asked Ai to deliver it. The ninken agreed amicably and bounded off to the jounin lounge to drop it off. Outside of Suoh, of course, Ai was her favorite member of the kennels.

She walked beside Suoh on the way to the gates instead of riding on his back, not wanting to tire him out before a mission. From his unimpressed face, she knew he thought it was silly, but wasn't going to make a thing out of it.

"Excited?" he rumbled, and she hummed her agreement before threading her fingers into the thick fur on his neck.

"Nervous," she finally admitted. "If we fail this mission, Hokage-sama might not let us specialize in acquisition, and then I'll probably end up in tracking. Which isn't bad, really, but I think I'd like to do something with stealth? I'm not really cut out for espionage and information gathering the way dad is, but I like some of the stuff I learned while traveling with him."

Suoh hummed. "I think your team will do well in it. Especially since nobody would expect it at first glance," he said a little wryly, and she huffed out a laugh. It was true, after all. Hinata was shy enough that most missed her core of steel, Shino was so formal and unreadable that people assumed he was a stick-in-the-mud, and Nariko knew that she came off as sweet and a soft touch. Which she  _was_ , but she also loved a good bit of mischief, and like any Inuzuka enjoyed getting physical. She'd also do anything to protect pack and her village - she was wired that way, same as anybody in her clan.

Nariko was pulled out of her thoughts by Shino falling into step with her as she turned towards the gate.

"Hey Shino," she greeted, and he inclined his head towards her.

"I am looking forward to this mission. Why? Because it will be a good chance to test ourselves on what we have learned."

Nariko grinned at him. "Aa! It should be fun," she agreed, and waved excitedly at Hinata and Kurenai, who were chatting quietly at the gates.

"Alright, team, I've already checked us out, you just need to give your identification numbers to the chunin at the gate," Kurenai said. Nariko perked up - this was her first time checking out of the village for a real mission. She bounded over to the desk and put her hands on her hips with a grin.

"Heya! Inuzuka Nariko and my partner Suoh. ID Number 70061." The blonde woman looked down at the list in front of her, and nodded to let her know she was free to go. Shino did the same, though with less visible excitement (his bugs gave him away, even if only someone with hearing as good as Nariko's would know), then Hinata was stammering her way through her ID, and they were heading out.

Nariko hummed to herself as they walked down the road, taking in the familiar scenery around her. Eventually they entered the forest and Kurenai picked up their pace into a light run that they could keep up for hours. Nariko breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell of the surrounding trees and loam of the damp earth, interspersed with wildlife trails and the faint scent of where other people - probably leaf shinobi - had passed recently.

Nariko reveled in the way her body ate up the miles, and how nature itself seemed to wrap around her team. Suoh was thrumming with the joy of the run next to her, his powerful haunches moving in almost perfect rhythm with her own strides. When they finally stopped for camp, her cheeks were red from exertion and she had a wide smile on her face.

Kurenai told her and Suoh to deal with the fire, and she gave a happy salute and bounded into the forest, Suoh at her heels. When they were all sitting around the happily dancing flames, Hinata and Kurenai talking quietly about a healing salve generally found in Wave country, Shino turned to her from where he was cooking stew with the rabbits he'd caught and some small taproots Hinata had found.

"You enjoy this," he intoned, motioning vaguely around them. Though he didn't say it with any sort of inflection, she could tell it was a question.

"Uh huh," she said a little distractedly from where she was pulling some paper and a pen from her bag. "It feels a little bit like home, in a weird way. My dad and I spent a lot of time traveling through wilderness when I was younger. Forests and marshes and tundra..." she trailed off.

"Suoh, come be my table," Nariko said, and giggled at his heartfelt sigh as he sat up from where he was sitting at her feet, moving his body so that she could lean forward and set the stack of paper on his back in front of her. She stuck the tip of her tongue out between her teeth as she started carefully writing a letter to her father. The full moon gave her plenty of light to see what she was doing.

"What's that?" Hinata asked.

"Letter to my father. The messenger that can deliver it to a drop point that works leaves two days after we're scheduled to get back. I wanna make sure I have it finished just in case."

"Ah. I thought it might be a love letter. Why? Because your boyfriend may be feeling insecure after he was forced to fight for your affections against a seven year old and his puppy, and lost."

Nariko gaped at Shino, incredulous, and Suoh let out a few chuffing laughs, almost causing her to leave a jagged line across the page in front of her. "I - did you just...tease me, Aburame Shino?"

He inclined his head and Nariko let out a shocked bark of laughter. "He's not my boyfriend," she huffed, shooting Shino a fond look.

"I should hope not," Hinata chimed in serenely from her spot across the fire. "Not after his poor showing against Akemi-kun." Kurenai let out a throaty laugh, and after a moment Nariko joined them.

Shikamaru really had been beaten up by a seven year old, after all, even if it was mostly surprise and an unwillingness on the older boy's part to hit a child.

"Did you see his face when Akemi-kun tackled him?" Kurenai said between chuckles.

Nariko looked at Shino and couldn't hold in her own giggles in when she saw the slight shaking of his shoulders. "And - and the way the ice cream just flew outta his hands," she said.

Hinata had put her hand over her mouth, and her eyes were scrunched up with laughter. After a few minutes they finally calmed, and Nariko felt a little bad for laughing about Shikamaru's injury, but couldn't really regret it when she took in her team's bright eyes.

"You guys are awful," She grumbled without heat.

000

They'd arrived at the small merchant camp on the border of Grass country after two days of easy travel, and had spent another two taking turns watching the encampment. They were currently in a tree that they had identified as their own base, looking over the map and notes on guard rotations they'd taken.

Finally, Shino cleared his throat. "We should go in while they are eating dinner. Why? Because they are less alert at this time than any other."

"Um, Shino-kun, y-you don't think we should wait until it's dark?" Hinata asked.

He tilted his head to acknowledge her point. "Usually I would say yes, but the tent that we have identified as the one holding their wares is most heavily guarded after dark. They even have two guards sleeping in there. Chance of detection is highest at that time."

"O-oh," she said quietly, but didn't seem overly concerned with her idea being shut down. Nariko realized that a month ago Hinata probably wouldn't have spoken up in the first place, let alone been unaffected when somebody explained why her idea wouldn't work. To Nariko's surprise, Hinata brought a small finger to the map, and traced a path around the buildings and supplies.

"T-this would probably be the best path to take, then. Usually this part of the camp is fairly empty in the evening if you get past the guards."

Nariko and Shino both nodded, since Hinata's Byakugan would have given her a better idea of exact positions of people in the camp. "How many of us should go in?" Nariko pondered. "It would be nice to have a lookout, but it's easier to hide one person..."

They all thought about that for a moment, Kurenai calmly listening in while she sharpened a kunai. She'd already told them that she'd mostly be observing, letting them take the lead and only stepping in if they were in serious danger.

"W-well, with our team, we can be lookouts from a distance, right?" Hinata finally said, pushing her fingers together in nervousness.

"You mean like...with Shino's bugs, or your eyes, you'd be able to track movement throughout the camp, and give some sort of warning if someone was approaching," Nariko said slowly. "But what would the signal be if our retriever was in danger?"

"I have tagged each of the merchants with a male member of my hive. Why? Because a female kikaichu will react to the pheromones they release by buzzing if they come within ten feet of her. This way, the person doing the retrieval can carry a female and have sufficient warning if they are about to be discovered."

"I could also give a signal if some else goes wrong," Suoh rumbled. "Most people don't worry if they hear a wolf howl or a coyote yip."

"Coyote yip?" Kurenai asked, looking up.

"Aa, it's a sound we teach our ninken specially. Since a wolf or dog could put people on alert," Nariko said distractedly, still staring down at their map.

"Nariko should be the one to go in. Why? Because Hinata and I can watch her back from a distance using our bloodline limits, and Suoh can give her a signal if she needs to abort. With her enhanced olfaction and audition, she is able to establish if somebody is in close proximity to her position. Also, she is still the most advanced user of stealth techniques out of the three of us." Nariko blinked at Suoh for a moment, and opened her mouth to argue, than shut it. He wasn't wrong, though Hinata and Shino were both quite good at stealth after working with her father for only a few weeks.

Nariko looked at Hinata to make sure she agreed, who gave a short nod. They spent the next hour or so mapping out exact paths of entry and exit, and coming up with a few contingency plans. After they were as prepared as they could be, Nariko knelt down next to Suoh, who had been sulking in the background since they decided Nariko was going to go in alone.

"You know why you can't go into the camp with me. You're kind of difficult to hide, Suoh-love," she said affectionately, and he side-eyed her at the pet name. She just grinned unrepentantly, and after a moment he let out a great sigh, then rolled over onto his back, letting his tongue loll out like the great dork he secretly was.

Nariko rolled her eyes, but obediently put both her hands on his stomach and gave him a vigorous belly rub. She knew without speaking that he hated not being there to watch her back, but she also knew that he was a good enough partner to let her do her job. Besides, no way was she going to die and leave him alone. She knew full well he wouldn't survive a second loss like Nikko's. Not like a few merchants with civilian guards could hurt her, anyway. The biggest concern was avoiding detection.

A few hours later found Nariko crouched down in the grass, breathing unhurried, no muscle in her body so much as twitching as she waited for the guard to pass her on his rotation. She had taken off her coat and changed into a tan long-sleeved shirt they'd managed to unearth from Kurenai's pack, who had given them a stern lecture on packing a few items of clothing that would work well for blending in different environments. It had been embarrassing, because out of all of them, Nariko actually knew that, and had lived it. She just sort of...forgot.

Finally, the guard disappeared between two trees, and Nariko took a few seconds to taste the air and strain her ears, both senses enhanced with a steady feed of chakra. The rest of it was pushed down into a small, fist-sized ball in her core, just the way her father had taught her. There were no signs of shinobi in the encampment, but it was basically habit after having it drilled into her head by her father.  _Better safe than sorry, Riko-chan._

When she didn't sense anybody else she ghosted forward across the ground, staying crouched so the long grass hid her from view. Nariko made sure all of her focus was on moving forward without causing the long stalks to rustle and give away her position, and on the placement of her feet on the soft loam below her so that she didn't make any noise in her passing.

She kept her senses sharp so that she wouldn't be surprised by anybody taking an unexpected walk in her general vicinity. All she picked up, however, were the sounds of the guard moving away and the rest of the camp eating the frankly unappetizing-smelling dinner on the other side of the clearing.

Finally, she reached the border of the camp where the grass had been stomped down to make a crude circle, and stopped for a moment, body still mostly covered by the waving spires around her.

She was facing the back of two ragged tents which blocked most of her view of the rest of the site, though she could see part of a covered wagon and paddock with horses through the gap between. She couldn't smell or hear anybody in the tents, so after a quick glance left and right, took off in a light jog across the small stretch of open ground, turning sideways and slipping between the two tents before pausing. No shouts of alarm, so she must have remained unseen.

Nariko crept to the edge of the gap, eyes darting around, listening hard, but it seemed Hinata was right - it was clear. The bug nestled behind her ear was also calm, which meant that it wasn't sensing any of her brothers within ten feet of them.

She dashed out of her hiding place and to the right, falling into a controlled roll under the wagon, wrinkling her nose at the smell of horse shit and what was probably human piss. Gross. With a bit of effort she pushed her disgust to the back of her brain and slithered across the ground soundlessly to the other side of the wagon. She tensed as she heard footsteps and the kikaichu behind her ear buzzed a warning.

After a few seconds the person turned away from her and back towards the campfire, and she relaxed. A moment later and she was out from under the wagon and on her feet again, moving to loop around the horses - they were the most likely to realize there was an intruder in the camp, after all.

Five minutes later, she made it to the back of the tent that they assumed held the merchant's product. Biting her lip, she listened for any signs that it wasn't empty, and when none came, she carefully worked a small knife into the corner of the tent. Once she had created a large enough hole to put her fingers into, she put the knife back into her belt, and quickly tore a hole just big enough for her to slip through.

Wincing a bit at the tearing noise, she stopped to listen, but it seemed nobody had heard her over the raucous laughter of the dining travelers. Finally, she wriggled through the hole she'd created - which they would hopefully think had just happened due to normal wear and tear - and then stopped for a moment to take in her surroundings.

She had entered the tent behind a stack of large crates, which was lucky. This way nobody would notice the tear until they broke camp. Still crouched low, she peeked around them, shoulders relaxing as all she saw in the dimly lit area were crates, a low table piled high with weapons, and a few trunks and what looked like rolled up luxury rugs in one corner. There were two sleeping rolls laid out in the middle of the room, proving Shino's observation that they slept in the tent to prevent theft (probably from their own people) at night.

The low sounds of two men talking and shuffling outside the closed flap of the tent signified that the two guards always posted outside were still there. Quietly, Nariko stood and moved out from behind her hiding place, knowing she needed to act quickly if she wanted to find the blood and get out before dinner ended.

Her eyes darted around until they fell on a plain wooden trunk in the back corner. A small plaster rose, chipped and worn down from years of neglect, was adhered to the front. It matched the description they were given in their mission scroll. She moved as quietly as she could to the trunk, tilting her head as she smelled it to check for any traps. All she got was dust and parchment. She stepped to the side before slowly clicking on the latch, wincing at the small noise it made, but it wasn't enough to alert the guards.

She lifted the lid, letting out a relieved breath when the hinges didn't squeak, then took in the contents. There were a few musty scrolls that she ignored in favor of a small wooden box. She opened it, and let out a breath of air when she saw the vials inside. She quickly and carefully removed it and put it into her pouch.

She was just easing the lid shut on the large chest when she heard three quick, distinct coyote yips. She froze for just a moment before quickly latching the the chest and smudging out the footprints in the dirt lining the floor of the tent she'd left as the guards at the door commented that the coyotes were starting early that evening.

Just as she slipped behind the crates hiding her exit point, she heard the sound of approaching voices.

"Yer a day early, but yeah, we got the box you're talking about. Don' know why yer so interested in a bunch of blood, but it's all yours if ya go the money," a man's voice said. Nariko's eyes widened in alarm - that meant their were buyers, an unexpected development.

Nariko tamped down on her chakra, and after taking a precious second to listen for anybody behind the tent, slipped out of the hole just as the tent flap was slung open, filtering in the late evening sun.

"I'll grab the trunk and bring it out to ye," the man continued, and Nariko pushed down her panic, forcing herself to remain calm and scan the area before darting off in the direction of her exit. Twice she had to stop and wait for somebody to pass, but she wasn't caught.

Finally, she slipped into the grass as the edge of the of the clearing, scanning her surroundings for the guard. There - she could smell him upwind a bit, and hear the scuffle of his feet. He was still far enough away that she could make it. As quickly as she could without giving herself away, she moved through the grass, counting her heartbeats and straining to pick up any sign that they'd been discovered.

When she got to the meeting place, only Suoh was there to greet her. "Come on, Kurenai-sensei had the team move further out so as not to alert the people that just arrived - they're shinobi. I'm to take you to them."

With a small nod, Nariko leapt onto his back, relief at having her partner at her side releasing some of her tension. He ran silently through the grass, and she couldn't help but admire his skills. Sometimes she forgot he had several more years of training than she did.

After about a quarter of a mile, they came to a stop below a tree, which were getting thicker the closer they got to the border of fire country. Suoh gathered power in his haunches, and with a great leap landed lightly on the first branch. Her team immediately rushed to her side, and Nariko found herself in the middle of a fierce three-way hug.

"We were so worried, but Kurenai-sensei said the best thing to do was to make sure we didn't give you away to the shinobi. We stayed close enough that we could help you if you got caught, and left Suoh for backup," Hinata whispered, and Nariko gave her an extra squeeze.

"It's okay, I know you wouldn't have left me. Kurenai-sensei was right," Nariko said firmly, turning a smile to the woman, who returned it.

"Hinata said you retrieved the blood successfully," Kurenai said after reaching forward to give Nariko's shoulder a squeeze. "You did a good job."

"Thanks, sensei. Here," she handed the small box to Kurenai, who opened it and scanned it for a moment. Her only reaction to the contents was to purse her lips.

"Most likely the shinobi will believe that their intel was bad and that the blood was never there. Just in case, though, I want to get back to the village as quickly as possible," Kurenai said, then jumped out of the tree, landing lightly, and they followed. Their landings were more jarring and a lot less graceful, and Kurenai looked up at the trees in longing for a moment.

"First thing I'm teaching you when we get home is tree walking," the woman grumbled.

None of them had a chance to reply, however, as she signaled for them to move out. The trip back was grueling - they only stopped twice for two hours to eat and grab a few minutes of sleep. Kurenai took watch both times, quelling them with a look when they tried to argue.

"I'm a jounin, I can handle two days of running without sleep. You're not quite there yet. Now, rest." Nobody argued, because Kurenai was scary when she wanted to be.

They entered the village dusty, exhausted, and full of a sense of giddy accomplishment. It was barely past dawn, and Nariko blinked in surprise when she heard a familiar, cheerful voice calling her name.

She turned after checking in with the chunin guarding the entrance to see Team Seven standing at the gates, travel packs on their backs, with an old man that smelled like sake and fear. "Naruto-kun!" she said, and Hinata brightened next to her. They glanced at Kurenai, who motioned the okay for them to go greet their friend.

"Two minutes," she said tiredly.

Nariko was immediately pulled into a crushing hug that pulled her feet off the ground before she was released and Hinata got the same treatment. "Oh man, you guys smell! And you're so dirty. Tsume-san said you were on a mission - ne, ne, did you guys get to protect a princess? Were you attacked by bandits? We're leaving on our first mission!" he said, chest puffing out in pride. He continued talking before they could answer any of his questions, and Nariko and Hinata exchanged smiles at the familiar behavior. "It's kind of lame, we have to protect this drunk old man while he builds a dam or something," he said, carelessly pointing a thumb back and the scowling client in question.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, bopping him on the top of the head with her fist. "Don't talk about the client that way!"

Kakashi had sighed and slumped, and Sasuke was glaring off to the side. Nariko laughed a little, and quickly covered it with a cough.

"Well, Naruto, good luck. Be careful. We have to go report in, now." Naruto looked up at her with wide blue eyes from where he was scratching at a shameless Suoh's belly.

"Aw, already Riko-chan? But I haven't seen you in ages!" he whined.

"It's been a week," she said with a small laugh. "But I missed you too. Come over for dinner when you get back, okay? Bring your team with you," she said easily.

"Yes, N-Naruto-kun. Please be careful and return safely." Hinata said. Naruto gave both of them a big hug again, and they waved goodbye to the rest of his team before joining Shino and Kurenai.

"Thanks, Kurenai-sensei," Nariko said quietly, and the woman gave her a large smile and ruffled her hair, careful to avoid any spikes.

They went straight to the Hokage to deliver their report and the blood, who was in his office despite the early hour. "Ah, Team Eight, excellent. Was your mission a success?"

"It was," Kurenai said, removing the box from her pouch and handing it to the Hokage.

He hummed and opened it, brow creasing as he counted the vials. "Well," he said after a moment, and all three genin jumped as the box burst into flame in his hand and burned to ash, the scent of burnt blood making Nariko wrinkle her nose. "That's certainly not something we should leave just lying around."

The Sandaime gave them a severe look. "I don't need to tell any you, I'm sure, to keep what you were sent to retrieve a secret," he said with steel in his voice, and they shook their heads in tandem.

After a moment, he nodded, and the whole room seemed to relax. "Well, then. Report."

Kurenai handled the report, putting in more detail than she usually would, including who had planned what, and a play-by-play of Nariko's movement through the camp. Every once and awhile the Hokage would ask for clarification from one of the genin, but for the most part they stayed silent. By the time the meeting ended, they were all swaying on their feet, fighting to stay alert.

"You did an excellent job, all of you. Yes, I think you'll do well in acquisition." They all perked up, and he held up a hand to keep them from speaking. "I will approve this specialization, but there is a chance you will also be tapped for tracking and diplomacy missions." They looked at each other, then shrugged. It wasn't like they minded, as long as it wasn't  _all_ they did.

"Alright. Then, I've arranged for some extra training for your team. You'll meet with this instructor eight hours a week. I'll coordinate directly with Kurenai-san on this. You're dismissed."

None of them missed the ire on Kurenai's face as they left the tower. For a moment they exchanged meaningful looks, until finally Hinata spoke. "U-um Kurenai-sensei?"

The woman looked over at them from where she'd been stalking next to them, a dark look on her face. Her expression immediately softened when she saw their discomfort. "Don't worry, I'm not mad at you three. I just...am not sure how I feel about your new instructor," she grumbled.

"Kurenai-sensei," Hinata said firmly, "You know that you'll always be our  _real_ sensei." For a moment the woman looked confused, before breaking out into a wide smile that they didn't see very often. With a huff, she put her arm around the Hyuuga's shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze.

"Oh, I'm not jealous. I just meant...well, you'll see," she said, and rolled her eyes. "Come on, I'll buy you three breakfast to celebrate, then I want you to go home and sleep and recover for the next two days."

Nariko put her hand into Suoh's fur and leaned against him, fighting back a yawn. Yeah, sleeping for the next two days sounded like just the thing. She could worry about her mysterious new sensei later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun - who could this mysterious new sensei be?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nariko has a No Good, Very Bad Day, Shikamaru realizes he's a little more like his father than he thought, and Team Eight meets their new sensei.

Nariko bowed her goodbye to Bunko-sensei just as Hinata appeared at her side, carrying a stack of dry-looking medical tomes and sending Nariko her usual sweet smile. "How was kenjutsu practice?" she asked in a soft voice as Kurenai and Shino joined them. Nariko grinned and plopped down to stretch.

"Good! Bunko-sensei is actually really nice, even though she's a perfectionist."

Kurenai hummed. "She's a good person to have along with you on missions - steady, and almost unstoppable with a blade."

Nariko perked up at that bit of information, but didn't have a chance to reply before Kurenai stiffened and stood, looking towards the trees, face a mask of annoyance. "Biro-san, you aren't supposed to be here for another hour," she called. Nariko breathed in deeply when she didn't see anything, and caught a faint whiff of jasmine and cedar. The three genin followed their teacher's example and stood, staying behind her and peering curiously into the trees.

Finally, a man emerged, and Nariko raised an eyebrow. He wasn't tall - probably only 5'9, though he was broad and obviously in good shape. He wore all black, and she could tell by the fit of his almost-too-tight pants and billowing shirt, unbuttoned to reveal a few inches of thick chest hair, that his clothes were well made and expensive. Two black daggers were attached to his leather belt, and he wore supple black leather boots that went up to midcalf. The only spot of color on his person was a short dark green shimmering bandana scarf tied around his neck. He had a broad, pleasant face with blue eyes and a strong jaw, and his head was shaved bald. Nariko couldn't see any hitai-ate on his person, so assumed he wasn't a shinobi. She guessed he was about twenty five from the lack of lines on his face.

"Ah, Kurenai-san, looking lovely as ever today," he said breezily as he sauntered towards them with a grace and confidence rarely seen in civilians.

Kurenai gritted her teeth but didn't reply, instead sending him a raised eyebrow. He sighed somewhat dramatically. "Can you blame a man for trying to get a read on his new students?" His scent soured at the last word, and Nariko's brow furrowed.

"Students?" Shino said mildly and with a faint undercurrent of distaste that somebody would only catch if they knew him well. Biro's eyes focused on Shino for only a moment, but something in his gaze had Nariko's metaphorical hackles raising, and she narrowed her eyes and took a small step towards her teammate. This drew Biro's attention to her, and she raised her chin and met his appraising gaze steadily, feeling thankful when Suoh, who had been napping in the trees on the other side of the clearing, brushed against her side.

The man's eyes widened in alarm for just a moment at the sight of the large ninken before narrowing in contemplation and darting to take in Hinata, who blushed but didn't cower. "Hmm," he finally said. "They could prove to be interesting, at the very least."

"Biro-san, I don't appreciate your attempt to spy on  _my_ students," Kurenai said in a cold voice that Nariko found absolutely terrifying. Biro just smirked at the way she stressed the possessive pronoun.

"Please, like my  _little shadows_ would allow me to harm your ducklings," he said lightly with a dismissive wave of his hand, and Nariko's eyes immediately flickered around them. What did he mean, little shadows?

"ANBU," Suoh rumbled, and Nariko jerked in surprise. Why in the world was ANBU following the man who was supposedly their new teacher around? Just what was going on?

Feeding more chakra into her nose, she breathed deeply, and there - right at the trees, she thought she caught something. It was almost like the scent was flickering in and out of existence. If she hadn't been looking for it, she'd never have known someone was there. ANBU really were a bit terrifying.

"Oh-ho, this is a surprise," Biro said mildly, like talking two hundred pound dogs were only slightly more shocking than the things he usually dealt with on the day-to-day.

"Kurenai-sensei, what's going on?" Nariko finally said, and the woman let out a huff of air.

"Right, I was going to explain this to you before our  _scheduled_ meeting time so you wouldn't be blindsided. The Hokage has contracted a civilian expert to teach you some of the basics of Acquisition," she finally said with a moue of distaste.

Biro grinned, apparently finding something funny about what Kurenai said, though Nariko had no idea what it could be. "That's right. Allow me to introduce myself," he said with a flourish. "Biro, Master Thief, pleased to meet you," he executed a low bow, crossing one foot in front of the other and holding a hand out to the side, the other arm going behind his back.

Nariko blinked at him, and before she could stop herself a little giggle escaped, causing him to look up at her with a pleased half-smile while the rest of her team looked at her like she was crazy. She just shrugged - she'd met weirder people while traveling with her father, and a good portion of his contacts were not on the right side of the law. Nariko knew just how to deal with a man like him. She cleared her throat, and returned his bow with a small flourished one of her own.

"Inuzuka Nariko, Genin of the Leaf, and this is my partner Suoh. Pleased to meet you," she said, and grinned at Suoh when he dipped his head in an approximation of a bow as well. Then she sent Biro a sweet smile. "These are my teammates, Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata. And we're going to be Konoha's most accomplished Acquisition team."

"Is that right," Biro said bemusedly, and Nariko kept herself from cheering at his reaction, knowing that he probably hadn't expected any kind of friendly greeting.  _Gotta keep men like that on their toes, Riko-chan,_ she could imagine her father saying. He'd always used charm and a smile to disarm people, and it worked a surprising amount of the time. And if it didn't, well, intimidation was an easy second option when you had two large ninken at your side.

Hinata, used to following Nariko's and Naruto's lead, stepped forward and inclined her head. "I am also pleased to meet you, Biro-sensei," she said sweetly.

Shino paused for a moment, kikaichu buzzing, before also nodding. "I look forward to learning from you."

Kurenai huffed in annoyance but didn't say anything. "Biro-san, you can go sit over there," she muttered, motioning to the edge of the training field. "I'll let you know when you can take over." Looking incredibly amused now, the man nodded and turned to walk casually to where she'd indicated, then leaned up against a tree, crossing his ankles out in front of him and pulling an apple from who-knows-where and began munching happily.

Kurenai shook her head at them when they went to ask questions, and instead set about giving instructions. "Okay, we're going to do a three-on-one spar, you three against me. Don't hold back."

The three genin exchanged wary looks. They'd never had a no-holds-barred spar against their sensei before. Finally, they nodded their understanding, and immediately leapt back to huddle together when Kurenai told them they had five minutes.

"This is weird," Nariko muttered, and Hinata nodded, distress easy to read on her face.

"I believe she wants to show our new...sensei...that we are strong and not to be trifled with. Why? Because he is obviously a criminal." Shino pierced Nariko with a _look._ "I don't understand why you were being so friendly with him."

Nariko rolled her eyes. "He's hardly the first criminal I've ever met. He's not even the first master thief," she whispered, and decided at their appalled faces that she wouldn't mention that she grew up calling said master thief Noboru-ojisan.

She cleared her throat. "Anyway, I'd say between the ANBU and the way he smelled kind of angry that this wasn't something he exactly volunteered for, you know? So we should try and, well, charm him into actually teaching us. We could learn a lot from him if he's really a master thief." Nariko shrugged at their surprised and thoughtful faces.

"Two minutes!" Kurenai yelled, and they jolted.

"Um," Hinata said. "What if Nariko and Suoh-san flank her, I attack from the front, and Shino provides long distance support with his kikaichu."

Shino hummed. "I can also be a backup plan to bail you out if you get into trouble."

"Ah, and Suoh and Hinata can let us know if we get stuck in an illusion," Nariko said. With a nod, they stood, and Nariko cracked her neck before grinning at Suoh, who lolled his tongue out of the side of his mouth goofily, causing Hinata to giggle.

"Begin!" Kurenai said from across the field.

"Byakugan!" Hinata said, then held up a hand. "That is not Kurenai," she said, and Nariko and Suoh put their noses to the air.

"Behind us!" Nariko squeaked, and they scattered, but not before Shino was given a firm kick to his thigh from their sneaky sensei. Nariko winced, but he seemed fine.

"Suoh!" Nariko called, then crouched low, pulling the chakra in her core, which had changed and mutated into something wilder after she'd bonded with Suoh, to cover her body in a blue glow. "Four legged technique!" she growled, and grinned as she felt her nails elongate into claws and her small fangs grow larger. A small, fleeting ache in her eyes and the world got just a bit sharper, and she knew that her pupils were now slits.

"Beast human clone," Suoh growled as he morphed into a perfect replica of her. Kurenai's eyes narrowed, and she went into a ready stance. Hinata and Shino were flanking Nariko, waiting for her to attack first.

"Suoh, dynamic marking," she said, and they both raced forward. Nariko reveled in the way the wind rushed part her and her claws dug deep into the loam. Without needing to speak, she crisscrossed with Suoh, switching sides about ten feet from where Kurenai - the real Kurenai, if her nose wasn't deceiving her - stood.

Suoh jumped and twisted in the air, and Nariko resisted the urge to blush at the sight of her look-alike sending a spray of urine at her teacher. Kurenai moved to jump back, but a cloud of kikaichu coming up behind her made her pause. She changed trajectories mid-air, twisting around the spray as Suoh landed back in a crouch, then howled in annoyance as their sensei sunk into the ground in front of them.

"Illusion," Nariko said in a gravely voice.

"She wasn't one until the end," Hinata said from between them, searching the area with her Byakugan. Suoh put his nose in the air, and Nariko wondered if her grin was really that feral while transformed.

"We got her with the dynamic marking - just a drop. She's hiding in the trees at three o'clock," Suoh growled.

"I will draw her out," Shino said, having landed next to them. A few moments later, Kurenai dropped out of the tree, spinning and sending a stream of fire at the kikaichu - slow enough so that they could dodge (this was only a spar, after all, she didn't want to kill her student's hive) but strong enough that they scattered.

"Hinata, we'll push her east. Be ready," Nariko said. Then, "Beast Human Body Technique Secret Art: Fang Passing Fang!" Chakra flooded her system as she pushed her body forward, world blurring around her when she began to spin so fast that she lost all sense of what was up and what was down. Instead of trying to see where she was going, she followed her nose, zeroing in on the single drop of Suoh's marking that had landed on poor Kurenai-sensei. She adjusted her trajectory to the left a bit, sensing Suoh coming in hot on her right via the buzzing chakra in her cheeks.

They hit the spot Kurenai had been standing with a great explosion of earth and rock, and Nariko dropped the jutsu and allowed her momentum to spin her around into a crouch. She'd known immediately when Kurenai dodged, but it had been too late to change her direction. Instead of looking for her with her eyes, she took a deep breath, and grinned when she noticed Hinata engaging Kurenai with her Gentle Fist about twenty feet away.

Nariko took off in their direction, digging her fingers into the earth to gain momentum. Suoh circled around to flank Kurenai on the left while she took the right. Kurenai tried to jump backwards, but was once again stopped by Shino's insects.

Feeling the chakra drain on herself, she met Suoh's eyes, and they both dropped their transformations in mutual understanding. Suoh leapt at Kurenai's side when she tried to dodge right out of Hinata's reach, and snapped his teeth at her. She twisted out of the way, and Nariko unsheathed her bokken, falling into what she knew was a slightly clumsy stance, and waiting for her chance to strike.

Of course, that was easier said than done, even with the kikaichu landing to suck chakra and forcing Kurenai to bat them off every few seconds and the three of them working in tandem to strike her. Kurenai-sensei was strong, much stronger than three genin - even clan brats. Hinata's hands were a blur as she attempted to hit their sensei with Eight Trigrams: Sixteen Palms.

Eventually, Kurenai must have decided that she had enough. Nariko's eyes widened as four extra arms extended from her sensei - two on each side of her torso. It was an illusion, obviously, but not one Nariko could see or smell her way through. As she took a hit in the ribs right after Hinata was driven back with a firm palm to the chest followed up by a kick, Nariko realized that she'd had no clue what 'Genjutsu Master' really meant until that moment.

She sailed across the clearing, too winded to recover after hitting the ground, and was immediately wrapped in vines that smelled and looked so real she was having a hard time convincing herself that they weren't. Taking a deep breath, she put her lip between her sharp teeth and bit down - hard. The vines dissolved, and she sprang to her feet, but the fight was over.

Suoh was sitting about five feet away, looking ruffled and dirty and altogether grumpy - he hated to lose a spar, which was too bad for both of them, because they were continuously getting their butts kicked by Tsume every time they trained.

Nariko sighed and decided to deal with his pouting later as she walked over to help Hinata up, who took one look at her bleeding lip and began scolding her in her sweet, sad way that always left Nariko feeling worse than a stern lecture would have. Shino had come to stand next to them, and was nodding along solemnly with Hinata.

"Good job on breaking through the illusion, Nariko-chan," Kurenai said, interrupting Hinata. "You guys showed some teamwork, that's good. However," they all slumped, knowing that tone meant they'd done something wrong. "You decided to take an illusionist head-on. That's the worst thing you can do in that situation. I've been working with all of you on setting traps, and you're supposed to be stealthy," she scolded, and Nariko rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"I understand that a lot of your clan techniques seem to require you to face foes head on, but that's just not true. Hinata," the girl poked her fingers together and blushed, "If you had retreated, you could have used your Byakugan to keep an eye out for me while you spent more time planning and possibly setting up a trap. Nariko," the girl winced, "instead of going straight for the flashy jutsu, you could have used your stealth to sneak up on me while Shino and Hinata distracted me. And Shino," his kikaichu seemed to buzz sullenly, but he remained standing stoically with his hands in his pockets. "Instead of using your hive for intimidation and redirection, you could have tagged me surreptitiously and used that to keep track of me."

"On an opponent with a different skill set than my own, or in a situation where you just plain don't have a choice except a full frontal attack, your strategy would have been a sound one. But you must always take the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents into account when forming a strategy. Do you understand?" Nariko nodded down at her shoes, knowing her cheeks were red with embarrassment. Kurenai was right - she had been trying to show off just a bit in front of their audience. Even Suoh looked a little sheepish from where he'd joined her at her hip.

Kurenai must have taken pity on them, because she sighed a little. "Of course, the dynamic marking was a good way to keep track of me. And the three of you worked together very well in combat. Once you learn to think things through, you'll be a difficult force to come up against."

Nariko peaked up at Kurenai, who was looking at them in exasperated fondness, and Suoh thumped his tail once against the ground while Nariko sent her a shy smile. "Alright, I want five laps of the field, and then you're to report to Biro-san. Off you go." They obediently took off running, choosing not to speak, each lost in their own thoughts. Nariko was still fighting her blush down, feeling a bit dejected from the lecture, well deserved or not.

They finished their laps and went into their post-practice stretches, and Nariko nudged Hinata, who was next to her, with her foot in warning when she smelled Biro approaching. "I see you three are pretty flexible already. That's good - you'll need it to get into tight spaces," he said mildly. "I'm going to take you through a new routine I created specifically for my line of work. I expect you to do it twice a day."

Nariko exchanged wary glances with her team, but looked up at him and nodded. "We look forward to working with you, Biro-sensei," she said mildly, and he eyed her and hummed.

The next fifteen minutes were spent putting their bodies into increasingly awkward and impossible-seeming contortions. At one point Nariko had to stop and laugh herself silly at the sight of Shino with one arm awkwardly stuck between his head and knee, attempting to push his body into what Biro called the 'Drunken Crab Pose,' whatever that meant. Nariko had never heard of crabs drinking themselves into intoxication before. Shino had been pointedly ignoring her ever since.

Finally, they were finished, Hinata a little red in the face from embarrassment and Nariko from laughter. Shino was huddled in his coat, sullen, and she had a sudden image of his stoic father walking in on him doing those stretches...

"Well, as soon as the Inuzuka is done laughing her ass off, we can move on to your first lesson on thieving,'" Biro said, and Nariko bit down on the inside of her cheek to get control of herself, giving a somewhat frantic nod and wishing her hair was down so she could hide her laughter behind it.

"Well, the first thing a larcener has gotta learn is the art of sitting still," he said. They exchanged doubtful looks, and he grinned at them, then motioned them to follow him, taking off into a jog. Kurenai, who had been watching from a few feet away, followed.

They made their way into the industrial area of the village, and Biro stopped and scanned the buildings around them. Finally, after ten minutes of him hemming and hawing, he pointed at a run down warehouse that looked empty. "There. Ya see the ledge beneath that first floor window?"

They nodded, and Nariko's eyebrows went up as he ran straight at the wall. His feet hit the side of the building, and he used the soft soles of his boots and his momentum to run a few steps up, until he could grab onto the ledge with his fingers. He then pulled himself up, spinning in the air and landing in a crouch on the ledge facing them with a grin on his face.

"Woah - did you use any chakra?" Nariko asked, and Biro wrinkled his nose.

"Nah, I'm a hundred percent civilian. Everything you see is done under my own power." He said the last a little disapprovingly, and Nariko huffed at the implication that chakra usage was some kind of cheat, but didn't reply.

"Well, come on kiddies - get up here. Keep the chakra out of it, if you please," he added when they all stepped forward.

"Why?" Shino asked, his voice as devoid of emotion as ever.

"Because, using chakra's a damn good way to get yourselves caught if they got a shinobi guard. Come on, don't tell me three strong ninja such as yourselves can't do what a civilian can without your chakra?" Nariko's eyes narrowed, and she studied the ledge. It was only twelve feet or so above the ground. Nariko wouldn't have any trouble with it, but she wasn't sure about Hinata or Shino.

She ran lightly at the wall, jumping high enough in the air that she could grab onto the ledge and tug herself up, spinning to land facing out like Biro had. The ledge itself was only about three inches wide, and Nariko had to balance on the balls of her feet to stay in place. The window was long, spanning almost the full length of the building, so there was plenty of space for Hinata and Shino.

They both scrambled up a little more awkwardly than Nariko had, but made it up just fine. "Perfect control and balance are tantamount to a burglar. As I said, you gotta be able to be still, to fade into the shadows and become part of the scenery. Before I'll move onto any other lessons, you need to prove you got the constitution to learn my trade," Biro said.

"That's not the deal," Kurenai said sharply from where she was standing on the ground, Suho beside her. "You're supposed to teach them, not give them stupid tests to try and get out of it."

Biro rolled his eyes, and Nariko gaped at him. Was he crazy? Kurenai could probably take him out with her pinky finger. "I am teaching them," he said in a voice one would use on a recalcitrant child. "As I said, they gotta learn stillness and patience before they can learn anything else."

Kurenai huffed, but didn't reply, though she looked as if she had a few things she'd like to say to the man, none of them polite. Biro turned to them. "We're going to crouch on this ledge, not moving a muscle, for an hour. Every time one of you moves, we all start over. That means no fidgeting, no scratching an itchy nose, no yawning, no talking. In other words, make like a statue."

Nariko gaped at him for a moment. Sitting still was not something she excelled at. "And we still can't use chakra?"

He grinned. "Nope. Starting...now." He then closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and looked so relaxed that Nariko was tempted to shove him off the ledge. She had the sudden realization that working with Biro was going to be an annoying endeavor.

Nariko furrowed her brown in concentration, forcing her muscles to relax as much as they could. The first ten minutes were easy. The next five were a little more difficult as she fought the urge to fidget. Another five, and then Hinata let out a little squeak and swayed.

"Starting over from the top," Biro said serenely next to them, and Hinata's cheeks flamed red.

"I - I'm sorry!" she said.

"It's fine," Nariko whispered.

"No talking," Biro snapped, and they all jumped. He sighed. "From the top."

Ten minutes later Nariko found herself shifting just a little as her right calf cramped.

"From the top."

Seven minutes, and Shino's body shook in a sneeze. "From the top."

They started over four more times before Biro sighed and opened his eyes. "Pathetic," he grumbled, then straightened and jumped down, falling forward into a roll before coming to his feet. "Obviously, you don't have what it takes to be my disciples," he said with a sniff.

Nariko's eyes widened, and she jumped from the ledge to stop him when he started walking away, panic that they'd be given a different specialty fueling her. She stumbled as cramped muscles protested. "Wait!" she called. "Give us another chance!"

He paused and cocked his head to the side, and Shino cut in from her other side. "I propose you give us three days. If, at the end of this time, we cannot perform...stillness...to your liking, we will not protest your refusal to teach us."

Biro hummed in thought. "Two days," he replied. Kurenai opened her mouth to protest, but Hinata cut her off.

"Deal," the girl said firmly. Kurenai sighed as Suoh chuffed out his amusement.

000

Nariko left her house at sunrise the next day, making her way to the warehouse, determination in every line of her body and Suoh at her heels.

"Will you stop laughing," she grumbled at him, grumpy. The day before had been filled with failures, and she was frustrated. First, they'd disappointed Kurenai-sensei during their spar. Then, they'd almost been dropped by their new sensei because they couldn't _stand on a ledge_ for longer than twenty minutes.

When she arrived, she stopped for a minute before giving in to the urge to smile. Hinata and Shino were both there, already perched on the ledge looking at her expectantly. "What took you so long," Shino intoned, and Nariko huffed before jumping onto the ledge to join them.

000

That evening Nariko and Hinata sat at Ichiraku, staring sadly down at their noodles. Shino had gone home, citing his mother's need for his assistance with one of their hives. "I can't believe we're going to lose our team specialty because we can't stand well enough," Nariko muttered. "I've got to be the lamest Inuzuka ever. We're supposed to be the physical clan!"

"I am a shame to my clan, as well," Hinata said glumly.

"Well, that seems like an overreaction," a voice drawled from next to her ear, and Nariko jumped, eyes widening.

"Sh-Shikamaru!" she squeaked, and he slid onto the stool next to her, quirking a lip up in greeting. Not even his presence could pull her out of her melancholy mood, though, and she found herself giving only a halfhearted smile in return. His brow furrowed, but before he could voice his thoughts Ayame was asking for his order.

When she left, Hinata sighed. "Hi, Shikamaru-kun," she sounded downright gloomy as she picked at her noodles.

"Alright, obviously something's wrong. Why don't you tell me, I'll see if I can help." He was slouched over the counter, usual sleepy expression on his face, but Nariko knew by now that he wouldn't offer if he wasn't sincere. "If all else fails, I'll find a way to beat up whoever said you don't...stand well enough." Nariko couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her at his ridiculous declaration, and even Hinata smiled.

He looked smugly pleased at cheering them up, but it only lasted a moment before their shoulders slumped again. "I don't know if it's something you can help us with, Shikamaru-kun," Nariko mumbled, ignoring Suoh's snort at her dramatics from across the room.

He hummed, then thanked Ayame as she handed him a bowl. He took a few bites before replying. "Well, I've heard a person or two claim that a Nara makes a pretty good troubleshooter."

He didn't push any further, but Nariko and Hinata exchanged looks before they both shrugged and turned to look at him. "Well it's just...we've chosen a specialty for our team, but being able to stick with it and stay together after we're promoted involves some special...instruction." He made a 'go-on' gesture, and Nariko found herself telling him about how they'd chosen Acquisition, as both a way to make their own mark on the world out from under the shadows of their parents, and because they genuinely thought they'd like it.

She told him about their new reluctant sensei, and how they'd spectacularly failed his first test, and were well on their way to failing it a second time. "We were at it all day, and tomorrow we've got practice almost all day and I don't know how -"

"Nariko," Shikamaru turned her towards him and put his hands on her shoulders. Her eyes widened as she stared into his amused brown ones. "Take a deep breath." She listened without thinking, and felt a bit better for it. "Okay. You said this...Biro-san had no trouble with doing it without chakra?" Hinata nodded from where she was leaning around Nariko.

"Hmm," he turned and took another bite of noodles. "Well, no matter how much he exercises, I doubt a civilian is actually physically more capable than a shinobi, chakra or no."

"But -" he held up a hand, eyes narrowed in thought, to stop Nariko from protesting.

"So, if it isn't a question of physical capability, it must be mental." Nariko huffed in indignation while Suoh laughed in the corner, and she glared at her partner. "Tell me, what was your sensei doing during the exercise. How did he seem?" Surprised at the sudden sharpness in his eyes and voice, Nariko blinked at him.

"Um. Well, he seemed really calm. Actually, his eyes were closed," Hinata said slowly while Nariko was still staring stupidly at Shikamaru.

"Uh - right. Yeah, his breathing was really steady, too," Nariko added.

Shikamaru's face cleared. "Ah. I see." To her annoyance he then turned back to his meal instead of elaborating.

"See what?" She finally demanded after it became obvious he wasn't going to clarify, and he side-eyed her and smirked.

"If you think about it for a second, I'm sure you'll figure it out. It's actually not that hard once you've got all the clues." He then nonchalantly lifted the bowl to his lips to take a sip of the broth.

Nariko pursed her lips and frowned at him. She wasn't sure she liked this focused and arrogant version of Shikamaru. Sure, he was always a little sarcastic and would tease his friends in his lazy-sharp way, but she was genuinely upset by her situation, and didn't like that he found her inability to catch up with his thoughts funny. Nariko already felt a little idiotic about the whole thing, and now he was just rubbing it in.

"Right," she mumbled, and tossed some money on the counter. "Never mind."

"Nariko -" Hinata protested, and she sent her friend a small smile. "I'm going back," Nariko said, uncaring that her aunt would probably have her hide for not heading home. "See ya, Shikamaru," she muttered, ignoring his expression of hurt surprise.

As she stalked out of the tent, she heard Hinata's soft voice say, "She doesn't take well to teasing when she's upset." Nariko glared and took off into light jog. Like she needed someone to explain away her reaction. Shikamaru was being completely insensitive.

She fumed all the way to the warehouse, Suoh a silent shadow by her side, knowing better than to try and talk to her when she was in one of her very rare bad moods.

With a narrow-eyed glare, she leapt onto the ledge, ignoring her protesting muscles as she crouched.

Two hours later, it was full dark, she'd snapped at Suoh enough times that he'd laid down in a huff and looked pointedly away from her, and she was closer to tears than she'd been in a long time. "Ugh! This is impossible!" she said, throwing her hands up in the air.

Suoh sighed. "It's not. The Nara's right - you've got all the pieces in front of you. Stop acting and start thinking. Isn't that what Kurenai was trying to tell you to do today?"

Nariko paused, frowning, tired enough that her frayed temper had cooled down a bit. Nariko was no idiot, but she could admit she tended towards action first, especially after living with her clan for over four years. What was it Shikamaru said? That it was a mental problem? And why had he asked about Biro-sensei's demeanor?

Eyes closed, steady breathing, relaxed..."Oh," Nariko breathed. "He was meditating."

"Took you long enough, silly girl," Suoh grumbled.

"I suck at meditating," she said, slumping, and Suoh chortled.

"You suck at normal meditating. Jump on your ledge," Suoh commanded, and Nariko looked at him doubtfully but knew arguing with him when he used that tone was futile.

"Alright, crouch down. Good. Now. Close your eyes." Nariko did so, shifting in discomfort when her thigh cramped. "Breath in through your nose, then out through your mouth. Again. Again." She easily fell into a controlled breathing pattern. "Good," Suoh said. "Now I want you to concentrate on the scents coming to you. Nothing else. Parse them first. Then look at them altogether. Try and come with a picture of the world around you."

Nariko easily fell into scenting - this exercise was something her father had taught her years ago, when she was still learning how to interpret all of the information she received through her Inuzuka nose. She began to gently pull apart the scents. The people were the easiest. Some were faded, and others were stronger, depending on what time they'd passed by. The scents of Suoh and her team were strongest. Jasmine and cedar was Biro-sensei. A cat had passed through recently. The dust from the road, there was fruit rotting nearby...

"It's been almost forty minutes, Nariko," Suoh rumbled after a while, and her eyes popped open in surprise, and she tipped off the ledge when her numb legs didn't respond to her command to jump.

"Ouch," she grumbled from where she lying on the ground. Suoh stuck his cold nose against her cheek, and she waved him off. "I'm fine," she said, and sat up. Then, she remembered what she had done, and grinned. "Come on, let's go get Hinata and Shino!"

"It is almost midnight," he said, amused, and her eyes widened. Her aunt was going to kill her.

000

Shikamaru poked dejectedly at his breakfast, tuning out his mom's chatter about some clan event she was planning.

"You have practice today?" Shikaku said mildly from next to him, and Shikamaru glanced over. Shikaku didn't usually do small talk, as it was useless - he almost always already knew the answers to his questions, after all. He especially didn't do small talk at breakfast, any Nara man's least favorite meal of the day, because it meant it was morning and they were awake.

"Aa," he finally settled on, knowing his father would get to the point eventually.

"Ino giving you a hard time?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes and rested his cheek to his palm.

"Only all the time," he grumbled.

A pause, then, "You talked to Tsuneo's daughter recently?" Shikamaru stiffened and glanced at his father, who was as slumped and miserable as his son. Yoshino had left the room at some point, so it was just the two of them.

"...I ran into her last night," he admitted. A few moments of silence, and when he glanced over his dad's eyebrow was raised. With a huff Shikamaru leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why are women such a drag," he grumbled after a quick check to make sure his mother hadn't snuck up behind him, as she was wont to do just before he said something that was sure to piss her off.

Shikaku chuckled. "What did you do?"

"Nothing! I was  _helping_ her. But apparently she couldn't take the time to appreciate a little joke..." he sighed when he remembered the look on her face when he'd teased her. The truth was, he'd been trying to show off a bit, but it had backfired spectacularly. "I didn't think she was like other girls - easily riled and prone to overreaction."

Shikaku shot him a  _look._ "...Though she was already upset about something," he grumbled, annoyed that his father was able to get so much out of him with a few sentences and a pointed look.

"Well, nobody can be perfect all the time," he said mildly, and went back to his breakfast.

"..."

His father took a calm bite of rice, and Shikamaru glared at him. "That's it?"

"What else is there?" Shikaku drawled.

"You're married to one of the most troublesome women around. Shouldn't you have some advice?" Shikamaru mumbled, feeling a little let down.

"You hardly need me to tell you what to do," Shikaku said mildly and sent him a smug smirk, and Shikamaru wondered with a growing sense of horror if that was how he looked last night when he was feeling overly self-satisfied with solving Nariko's problem. Of course, he hadn't had a chance to tell her what he'd figured out before she'd stomped off in a huff...

"What a drag," he grumbled, and stood and brought his plate to the sink before moving towards the kitchen door, resolving to just give up on romance before it got even more troublesome.

As if reading his son's thoughts, the man added, "Of course, you could always just let it lie." Shikaku paused, and Shikamaru sent him a suspicious look. "Maybe your cousin Nato can help her out with whatever problem she's having. I heard he was quite taken with her after meeting her at your party, and was even considering asking her to the harvest festival next week."

The door slamming shut as his son moved abnormally quickly out the door was his only reply. Shikaku smirked smugly into his tea cup, then jumped when his wife yelled his name. "Shikaku! I swear, if you forget to feed the deer again -"

He slumped, and couldn't help but wonder whether he'd been doing his son a favor or not.

000

Nariko grinned at Biro's grudgingly impressed face at the end of the allotted hour. It turned out Shino and Hinata were master meditators - not exactly surprising, as they were both generally calm individuals. After some strategic begging and sad-facing, Kurenai had thrown up her hands and let them use their day to practice their 'being still skills.' It had paid off.

"Alright, I suppose I can take you on," Biro said with a little sniff, and ignored Kurenai's muttering about how there'd never actually been a choice. "Now, let's see if we can do two hours, huh?"

Nariko was walking three ninken near the front gates (part of her punishment for staying out until midnight) when her attention was pulled to a conversation outside the compound entrance late that afternoon.

"What do you mean she's grounded? She's a genin!" she heard a familiar voice say, and she paused.

"That question tells me you've never spent time with her aunt," the familiar voice of Inuzuka Haru replied.

A sigh, then, "Can you just tell me whether or not a guy named Nato has come looking for her?" Shikamaru said a little desperately (for him, anyway, though his voice was barely verging on urgency).

"Nato? No, can't say he's been part of the string of guys that have been by lookin' for Tsume-sama's niece," Haru, who's only joy in life seemed to be messing with other people, said in a perfectly level voice. Nariko was still a bit sore with Shikamaru and had planned on continuing by in a righteous huff, but she sputtered at that, and stomped to the gate, the three adolescent pups tripping over themselves to follow.

"Haru-san," she said sweetly, "You might think you're funny, but I wonder what kind of missions Tsume-obasan will request for you from the Hokage if she hears you've been spreading rumors about her niece."

Haru lost the color in his cheeks, and chuckled nervously. "Maa, Nariko-san, I was just messing with the kid..." he trailed off at her unimpressed look. "You...aren't going to bring this up to Tsume-sama, right?"

Nariko rolled her eyes, and couldn't help but smile a bit at the fear her aunt inspired in her clan. "As long as you don't tell her about the five minutes I'm going to take to talk to my friend, here," she said, and Haru slumped.

"Fine," he grumbled, and she ignored his mumbled comment about how terrifying Inuzuka women were and handed him the leashes in her hand. He yelped as one of the pups darted out from behind him and almost took him out with a leash to the knees.

Nariko studied Shikamaru, who had his hands in his pockets and was looking to the side, expression a little petulant. Aware of her gossiping clan member's presence, she motioned for him to follow her into the trees at the side of the road.

"Keep it above the waist!" Haru yelled, and Nariko closed her eyes in mortification but didn't respond.

Finally, she stopped behind a tree, and turned to look at Shikamaru, eyes lingering on his wristbands, which were still in place. Just like that, the rest of her anger drained away, and she brushed her fingers against the leather bracelet he'd given her. His eyes followed the movement, and his face softened.

"I'm sorry," they both said at once, and she laughed nervously when he smirked. He motioned for her to go, and she hesitated.

"I'm sorry I got so upset," she said, looking him in the eye. "I was already frustrated and I guess I just overreacted."

He huffed, but kept his eyes on hers. "I'm sorry I teased you - I shouldn't have, not when you had trusted me to help you."

Nariko gave him a tentative smile, and he returned it. For a moment they stood in silence before she broke it. "I should get back before Tsume-obasan realizes I'm gone," she said without enthusiasm.

"What did you do, anyway?" Shikamaru asked, and she sighed.

"I was out until midnight," she grumbled and at his raised eyebrow flapped her hand dismissively. "I was practicing my ledge-standing, nothing nefarious," she clarified.

"Did you and your team..." he trailed off, and she realized that he was feeling guilty.

"Aa," she said, and gave him a small smile. "You were right, once you pointed it out I was able to figure it out. Well, after some heavy hints from Suoh," she said with a self-depreciating smile. "I guess thinking isn't exactly my strongest suit."

His arm darted out and grabbed her wrist, and she blinked at him in shock when his eyes went sharp. "That's not true. You're very intelligent, just not in the same why I am."

She cleared her throat and looked away, embarrassed and unsure how to reply. "I'm sorry if I gave you the impression I didn't believe that," he finally said, and she glanced at him, softening when she saw he looked genuinely distressed.

She leaned forward and brushed her lips across his cheek. He blushed and his eyes widened before darting to look at her face, which was still close to his. "Thanks, Shikamaru," she whispered, then stepped back. He dropped her wrist and quickly shoved his hands back into his pockets.

She waved and turned to head back to the gate. "Wait!" his voice called, and she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"How long are you grounded?" he asked.

"Um. Through next week, I think," she said and frowned in confusion when he looked relieved.

"Oh. Well, if my cousin Nato tries to talk to you, you should...not trust him," he said a little lamely.

"Uh...okay?" He sighed, and his shoulders slumped.

She shook her head at his strange behavior and went to collect her charges before her aunt came down on her in a blaze of fury.

000

Shikaku glanced at his son when he joined him where he was lying on top of the shed that held the grain for the deer. He hadn't realized Shikamaru knew about this little gem of a spot. Yoshino still hadn't figured out it was one of the places he disappeared to even after fourteen years of marriage.

Shikamaru laid down next to him. "This isn't as nice as my hill," he grumbled, and Shikaku huffed.

"It's unknown to your mother, which makes it nice."

Shikamaru went silent for a moment, obviously mulling something over. "Nariko wouldn't yell at me all the time, I think."

"Probably not," Shikaku admitted. He loved his wife, but he could admit that a woman like that probably wouldn't make his son happy. "So you two made up?"

Shikamaru didn't bother to answer - they both knew that Shikaku had already mapped out exactly what his son's response to his goading earlier that day would be. "I'm going to ask her out," he settled on. Shikaku hummed. "Then I'm going to ask Tsume-sama if I can court her officially." Shikaku only grunted, and Shikamaru scowled. "Which means you'll probably have to talk to Tsume-sama."

Shikaku allowed a smug expression to come over his face and looked over at Shikamaru, who sighed. "You already talked to her."

"Yep." He popped the 'p' obnoxiously.

"And?" Shikamaru asked, obviously worked up and trying to act calm.

"And she's fine with it." He closed his eyes, knowing without looking that Shikamaru's face would be scrunched up in a scowl that made him look a lot like his mother.

"That's it? She's fine with her niece marrying the future Nara clan head?"

"Uh huh."

"Yeah, I'm just going to go," Shikamaru grumbled, fuming, and went to sit up, ignoring that this situation was an ironic reversal of last night's scene with Nariko. With a sigh Shikaku put a firm hand on his shoulder and pulled him back down.

"Yare, yare, and you say women overreact. I agreed to let your future children -" he ignored Shikamaru's choking sound next to him "- train with ninken, and we'll be doing some joint projects with military pills and our clan medical techniques."

"Hmm," Shikamaru said, but Shikaku knew he was pleased.

"Be careful," Shikaku grumbled. "You break her heart and we'll have literal murderous dogs breaking down our door."

000

"Today," Biro said, gesturing to the table he'd somehow set up in the middle of the training ground, which was covered in twenty different types of locks, "we'll be learning the time-honoured tradition of lock picking!"

Nariko took the lock picking set he handed to her bemusedly, studying the twelve metal tools nestled into the miniature leather satchel. "Let's start with something easy, hmm?" Biro said, and motioned them over to a doorknob with a keyhole notched below it. "This is a standard knob lock," he began, then deftly pulled out two of the tools from his own pouch. "The first thing you need to know..."

Nariko's hands were too sore to handle her chopsticks that evening, but she couldn't help but feel pleased with her progress. She'd successfully picked a knob lock and a padlock in just under the forty five second time limit Biro-sensei had set for them.

With her small, nimble hands and Byakugan, Hinata had finished hers in fifteen seconds, earning the first impressed look Biro-sensei had given any of them. "Well, you might have a breakin' and enterin' prodigy on your hands," he'd said, causing Hinata to blush bright red.

000

Nariko scanned the crowd in front of her from where she was seated on Suoh's back, one leg pulled up, arm wrapped around it, and chin resting on her knee. Her eyes were half-lidded, as if she and her partner were just taking a break from the hot late summer sun in the shade of a building.

"How many points are you going to go for," Suoh grumbled, and Nariko shrugged. They were playing 'a little game' that Biro had, she was sure, made up on the spot the moment he realized Kurenai wasn't around to chaperone his lessons. The woman had been sent out on an A-rank mission, and she almost always curtailed his less...savory lessons.

"One point for a civilian, two points for genin, three points for chunin, four for a standard jounin, and ten for high ranked officials," Nariko grumbled. "It's like he wants to get us thrown into jail."

Suoh chuffed. They'd been working on 'the classic skill needed by all thieves: pick-pocketing' for the last two days. He'd decided that it was time for a real-life run and promptly declared that they would go out into Konoha and start pick-pocketing it's citizens.

The point system was based on the assumption that civilians would be the easiest targets and high ranking shinobi officials the most difficult. They could either pick pocket multiple civilians to try and win the game or hit up one or two shinobi.

Nariko nibbled on her lip, eyes falling on a sour-faced woman wearing high quality clothes, and carrying shopping bags on one arm. Her eyebrow raised when she saw a blue scarf peaking out of the top of the bag. Casually, she stretched and hopped off Suoh's back, and began to weave her way through the crowd.

A mixture of nerves and adrenaline had her heart pumping and her palms sweating, but she kept her outward appearance calm. "Keep it casual - don't let your eyes dart around, keep your breathing level, and don't speed up or run down any alleys, for kami's sake," Biro had lectured, then proved how good he was at his trade when he'd held up the various items he had stolen from their persons in the ten minutes they'd stood around chatting before getting started on their team practice.

Nariko sped up just a bit, passing by her mark, letting her eyes wander to a stand of vegetables that the woman would walk by in a few seconds. She let her eyes sharpen on a particularly fine-looking zucchini, and Nariko stepped in front of the woman's path to get to it. She turned to the side to study the zucchini just as the woman passed by her, attention on the road in front of her.

Swallowing her nerves and the voice in her head screaming at her to back out, she crossed her arms, letting the fingers peeking out from between her ribs and bicep on the side facing the woman reach out and pinch the fabric of the scarf. The woman kept walking, but the scarf stayed with Nariko, falling gently against her side.

Nariko turned to look at the zucchini, picking one up without seeing it, ears straining to pick up any indication that somebody had seen the theft as she tucked the scarf into her pouch. When none came, she placed the squash back onto the pile and turned away. With a shuddering breath she took to the roofs, and a moment later Suoh joined her.

"You smell like you might throw up from nerves," he teased, and she shot a glare at him.

"Well excuse me for not wanting to give Tsume-obasan another reason to punish me. I don't even want to know what she'll say if she ever finds out," Nariko said with a shiver, and Suoh huffed.

"For somebody that's so sweet, you don't seem that guilty about stealing from Konoha citizens."

Nariko grimaced, then shrugged. "Well, I won't be taking people's purses or anything. Plus, I'm only going to aim for anybody who looks like they can afford a little pickpocketing." she went silent for a minute, but figured if she couldn't admit it to her partner, than who else? "Plus, I think it's all kinda...fun."

Suoh chuffed as she hopped on his back and they went back to the streets. Biro had impressed the importance of never hitting two marks in the same place in a short amount of time, so they had moved to a new location. "Well, no surprise with the sorts of people your father had you hanging out with," Suoh said wryly. He'd been a little horrified at some of the reminiscing and gossiping Nariko had done with her father while he was in town.

Nariko rolled her eyes. "Jeez, it's not like he was letting axe murderers babysit me," she grumbled, enjoying the now-familiar argument.

"No, only leaders of assassin guilds and infamous criminals," he said. Nariko didn't argue that because, well, it wasn't exactly a lie, though she hadn't realized who they were at the time.

"Father has a very widespread and eclectic network," she said primly as she hopped up onto the lip of a fountain in a small quiet square. Suoh grumbled, but Nariko's attention was drawn to something - or rather someone - else. A familiar-looking ponytail attached to a tall, slouched figure was making its way towards them.

An idea hit her then - a slightly rash, probably-not-her-best-moment kind of idea. But if she could pull it off...Shino and Hinata would think it was hilarious. Impulsive decision made, Nariko began humming, looking down at her feet as if she hadn't noticed the person making his lazy way down the street and making a show of balancing on the ledge as she walked. She put her hands behind her back and motioned for Suoh to disappear.

With a huff and a "this is a terrible idea that you will regret," he listened. Doing her best to look innocent and childlike, she bent down and put her hands on the ledge of the fountain, flipping her feet up into a handstand and causing the few small children playing under the watchful eyes of their mothers in the square clap and cheer. Not needing to pretend to be delighted by their reactions, she pushed off into a flip, landing with a flourish on her feet again.

"Ah! Do more tricks, nee-san!" a boy missing a front tooth yelled, and she grinned at him cheekily, nose telling her that her mark was approaching the fountain. With a bit of chakra application, she leapt to the top of the fish statue that was spurting water out of it's mouth, and landed on the ball of one foot on the tip of its upraised fin, the other leg held out behind her as she mimicked a dancer's pose. More cheers, and she heard a light chuckle coming from the man as he moved to walk past the fountain.

With another flourish, she jumped and did a somersault in the air, landing on the opposite foot. She allowed herself to fumble a bit, eyes going wide and arms pinwheeling before pitching towards the ground, feeling a bit guilty when the children screamed in horror.

She  _oofed_ as her shoulder hit the curve of the fish's body, sending her body even more off-kilter so that there was no way she'd recover. Hoping that her mark wasn't the type to let her learn her lesson for showing off the hard way, she let out a little meep of terror and rolled into a ball. Hana would not be amused if she had to heal another dislocated shoulder.

Then, there was a displacement of air, and she was snatched out of her fall by Nara Shikaku. Making sure not to show how smug she was feeling over reeling the man in, she unrolled from her ball and peeked up at his amused smirk. Nariko didn't have to fake her blush of mortification - Shikamaru's dad probably thought she was some sort of idiot now.

"Shikaku-sama!" she squeaked, letting her hands grip his flak jacket as though she were still afraid of falling. "You saved me!" Remembering the way Shikamaru went smug when he'd figured out the solution to her problem, she hoped it was genetic. Nariko widened her eyes in gratitude. "Thank you!"

To her amusement, his face did go a little self-satisfied, and she had to force herself not to roll her eyes. "Well, I couldn't let my son's favorite Inuzuka break a bone falling off a fountain, could I?" he said as he lowered her feet to the ground and gripped her shoulders when she stumbled a bit. Hana was right - men completely lost their brains when a woman went into damsel mode. Too bad she couldn't tell her cousin about this, since Nariko was pretty sure pickpocketing the jounin commander would be considered Not Good.

She blushed a little at his description, and shrugged, looking down and lowering her hands to her sides. "I think I'm the only Inuzuka he hangs out with," she said with a bright cheeky smile that she didn't have to fake, and he huffed and tugged on the end of her braid where there were no spikes.

"Maa, because you're the only one he doesn't find 'troublesome.'" Nariko's cheeks heated even further, and she looked shyly to the side.

"Well, if you're sure you won't be falling off anything else, I need to get to the office," he drawled, and she started.

"Oh! Yes. Um, thanks Shikaku-sama, for the save." She glanced up at him, and saw he was still looking smirky and smug. For a moment she couldn't believe she was so enamored with somebody that would probably grow up to be very similar to the man in front of her. Then she remembered the way he'd snatched her out of the air without a second thought, and her smile widened. "You're very cool!"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and she chewed on the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. "Well, I'll see you later - give my best to Yoshino-sama, ne?"

"Aa," he said with a lazy wave, then put his hands in his pockets and turned in the direction of the tower. Nariko waited until she was on Suoh's back heading for the the noodle stand her team had agreed to meet up with before dissolving into giddy laughter.

"Alright, so I'm guessing none of you got caught, since you're sitting here with me and not in jail," Biro said cheerfully before slurping up a bite of cold spicy noodles. When they all just nodded, he motioned for them to show their loot.

Hinata cleared her throat, and placed three items on the table. "U-um, I had two civilians and a chunin," she said. "So five points."

Shino set four items - a book, a wallet, and two kunai - on the table. "One jounin, one genin, and two chunin," he said a little smugly. Nariko's eyes widened, and Biro raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive," he said, and Shino's hive gave a pleased hum that only Nariko could hear.

"And you, little Inuzuka?" Biro said in a mocking tone of voice that said he didn't expect much. Nariko sighed and looked down, trying to convey disappointment, having to work to keep the grin off her face.

"I got a scarf from a civilian," she said, laying it on the table. "And this pen," she pulled out an expensive-looking silver pen from her jacket and laid it down, pausing dramatically before finishing her sentence, "from the jounin commander."

A pause, and both Biro's eyebrows went up. Then, Hinata let out a little giggle as she realized Shikaku had fallen victim to one of their training exercises again. To everybody's shock, Shino let out a low chuckle.

"This, I'm going to need to hear," Biro said. By the end of lunch, Team Eight couldn't look at each other without dissolving into laughter.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikamaru and Nariko have their first date, and Hiashi finds out about Hinata's chosen career path.

Nariko forced her body to stay relaxed and unmoving as a new scent reached her nose. Eyes half-lidded, she watched as Team Seven turned the corner, and wondered what they were even doing in the industrial district. They must have taken a mission somewhere nearby.

She'd heard them before she smelled them, of course. Naruto had told her and Hinata about their insane mission to Wave, and how his team had bonded a bit after, but their default setting still seemed to be loud bickering. Nariko forced thoughts of Naruto's tear-filled eyes as he told them about the missing nin he'd befriended and then been forced to fight and watch die to the back of her mind. If she got upset, she'd end up twitching or something.

Nariko was pretty sure they only had about twenty minutes left in the exercise. Hopefully Naruto wouldn't notice her team crouching on the ledge of an abandoned building and try to talk to them. Though Kurenai-sensei, who was sitting cross-legged on a wall filing her nails next to a napping Biro and Suoh, would probably draw his attention. Dammit. Twenty minutes, that was all.

She forced herself to remain loose-limbed as they got closer, closing her eyes again and focusing on the scents around her, willing her mind into blankness.

"...and I'm totally going to carry way more crates than you, bastard, even without my shadow clones!"

"Tch," Sasuke replied.

"Baka! Leave Sasuke-kun alone!" The sound of somebody getting punched made Nariko want to growl, but she held off. Peace. She could do peace.

"Aw, Sakura-chan, why do you always take the bastard's side?" Naruto whined.

"Maa, maa, that's enough. Oh, hello, Kurenai-san," a cheerful Kakashi said.

"Eh? Kurenai-sensei? Hey, hey, do you guys have a mission here too? Nariko, Hinata, Shino! What are ya doing up there?" Naruto yelled from where he was now standing below them.

A pause, and then, "They're training, Naruto-kun," Kurenai said gently. "They can't talk right now."

"Tch, they're just sitting there," Sasuke scoffed.

"Exactly," Biro-sensei's voice said. "They're practicing the art of stillness. A more difficult task than it seems. They've been there for..." a rustle of fabric "...ninety-two minutes now." Shoot, they had more like thirty minutes left to go.

Nariko breathed in deeply and focused her attention back to the scents around her. A squirrel was passing overhead. Naruto's team had just had ramen. Sakura had cut herself recently, if the tang of a small amount of almost-fresh blood coming from her was any indication.

"...not using chakra?! Hey, hey, I want to try!" The smell of acrid smoke and hot metal hit Nariko's nose - the blacksmith down the street was back from lunch.

The sound of somebody scrambling up next to her had her tensing her muscles for just a moment before she relaxed them again.

"Hn," and another, lighter thump.

Then, "You guys, we have a mission!"

"Maa, Sakura, we have some time. Why don't you give it a try?" Kakashi said.

"...fine." A third thump, a few fidgets, then silence.

"I wonder if you'll be able to beat my students' abysmal first try," Biro mused, and Nariko heard Suoh laugh and Shino's kikaichu buzz in annoyance. "No talking, no twitching, only stillness," Biro said.

Ten minutes later Naruto fidgeted, and Team Seven was forced to start again. Then Sakura coughed five minutes later. Sasuke shifted his foot awhile after that.

"Gah, this is impossible!" Naruto exploded, and Hinata fell off her perch.

"Oh, no, and with only four minutes left to go," Biro tutted. "Guess we won't be leaving for lunch after all. Let's try it again, shall we?"

Nariko tackled a protesting Naruto to the ground while Shino's insects rose in a terrifying cloud above him. In the background Hinata stuttered out apologies while Sakura chewed out Naruto from the sidelines and Sasuke smirked at them all from his perch on the ledge.

Kurenai sighed and rubbed her forehead when Suoh happily leapt into the fray, causing Naruto to wail as he tried to claw his way out from under a furious Nariko and her ninken.

000

Nariko knew Akemi was staying over two evenings later when she smelled his cooking from a quarter mile away. She entered the house with a tired "I'm home," and her lips quirked up when Taka bounced down the hallway to tackle a grumbling Suoh.

"Hey, Taka," she said, and wandered into the kitchen, where Tsume and Hana were going over clan finances.

"Hi, Tsume-obasan, Hana-neesan." She flopped into a chair next to Hana, who smiled at her.

"Hey, Nariko-chan. You look exhausted. Hard day of training?" Nariko accepted a pile of receipts and the book she recognized as the kennel budgets from a scowling Tsume without comment, and grabbed a pen.

"Eh, Kurenai-sensei had us do endurance training today, and Biro-sensei had us standing around on ledges again," Nariko grumbled.

"Eh, again?" Akemi asked from where he was opening the oven to check on his baking chicken.

"Aa. Two and a half hours now, but he's taken to making loud noises randomly to try and startle Hinata after Naruto made her fall off the ledge a few days ago." Nariko scowled as she carefully wrote down the amount they paid for their most recent delivery of dog food to the kennels in the correct column.

Hana snickered. "Well, that's what you get for deciding you want to be a thief for a living."

"Acquisition specialist," Nariko corrected, and smiled when Tsume snorted.

"That reminds me - you got a letter from your father," Tsume said, and pulled an envelope out of her pouch.

Nariko squealed and dropped her pen, snatching it from Tsume's hand and ripping it open. She hadn't gotten a letter from Tsuneo for over a month.

_Dear Riko-chan,_

_I got your last letter, baby. An acquisition specialist, hmm? Well, I can't say I'm surprised that you'd choose such an auspicious career. I do wish I could have seen Hiashi's face when Hinata told him, though._

Nariko winced. Hinata hadn't actually broken the news of her less-than-traditional career choice to her father. In fact, Nariko had convinced Tsume to have Hinata and her father over for dinner that very evening to discuss it. Tsume was usually able to keep Hiashi from getting too stern with his daughter.

_Sorry I haven't written for awhile. I've been in pretty deep on something I'm working on. Hin and Jao miss you, and Nobaru says 'hi.' I'm staying with him this week. He wants to know when you'll be coming out to see him - he said he'd love to share some of the tricks of your now-shared trade._

_Your aunt told me about Akemi and Shikamaru's battle for your heart, and that Shikamaru seems to have come out worse for wear. I made sure to write Shikaku and ask him what in the hell he's been teaching his kid if an academy student and his puppy can take him on._

Nariko glared at her aunt after she read that line. The Inuzuka were a bunch of busy bodies, and apparently her aunt was not immune to the gene, even as clan head. Maybe especially as clan head.

_I miss you. Once I'm done with my current mission, I think I'll come and stay in Konoha for awhile again. It was nice spending time with you. You've grown into a fine young lady. I'm so proud of you, and I know your momma would be, too. Remember, my Nariko, you're stronger than you think._

_Much love,_

_Dad_

Nariko smiled softly, and folded the letter up carefully to read again later before putting it into her coat pocket.

"Did he write you too, Tsume-obasan?" Nariko asked as she went back to her task.

"Aa. The big lump was just as emotional as always. Demanded I get more pictures of you to send to him," she grumbled, but Nariko could tell by the softness around her eyes and her relaxed posture that she loved hearing from her twin just as much as Nariko did, and just hummed in response.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang, and all four of them put their noses into the air, but weren't able to place a scent over the smell of cooking meat. Nariko tilted her head to the side to listen instead, and jumped up at the familiar heartbeat belonging to the person who was shuffling his feet on her porch.

"Um, I'll get it," she said, and tripped over her chair a little in her rush to stand up and leave the kitchen, causing Hana and Tsume to laugh at her.

"Wonder who that could be," Hana sing-songed, and Nariko glared at them and resisted the urge to smooth down her hair.

"Wait, who is it?" Akemi asked, and whined as Tsume grabbed his collar when he tried to dart after Nariko as she exited the kitchen.

"Uh-uh, you're stayin' right here. No way am I letting you beat up the Nara heir...again." Nariko rolled her eyes and quickened her steps.

She bit her lip for a moment as she caught Shikamaru's scent, and wondered if he'd been hanging out in the Yamanaka flower shop again. Then, after giving in to the urge to smooth down potential flyaways in her braid with both hands, she opened the door and paused, blinking in shock. Standing on her porch was an uncharacteristically nervous Shikamaru. He was wearing his usual outfit, but his hair was nicely brushed and his cheeks were slightly red.

One hand was tucked into his pocket, as usual, but in the other he was holding a bouquet of mixed wildflowers that were letting off a pleasant but subtle smell that didn't overwhelm her nose like some flowers tended to do.

"I - Shikamaru. Hi," she said, and stepped out on the front porch, closing the door behind her. She knew her aunt and cousin were listening in still, but at least it gave the illusion of privacy. She hadn't seen him for almost three weeks. Right after her punishment had ended, Team Ten had gotten a C-rank that took them out of the village for a few weeks.

"Nariko," he said then cleared his throat and held the flowers out, eyes darting to the side. "These are for you."

Her cheeks immediately flared red, and she bit her lip and ducked her head to hide her smile.

"Oh. Thank you," she said, reaching out to take them. Their fingers brushed as her hand wrapped around the stems, and they both paused. She looked up and for a moment their eyes met. Then he let go, letting his fingers slide against hers, and she brought them up to her nose.

"They're beautiful," she said, and he smirked a little and shoved his hand in his pocket now that it was free.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked, and she smiled at him.

"Sure. Come on, I know a good trail." He followed her around the side of the house and into the woods behind it. She took a moment to admire the flowers he'd given her, trying and failing to keep the pleased smile off her face while she shot him looks from under her lashes.

After a few minutes of charged silence, they came to a small clearing, and he motioned with a nod of his head to a downed tree a few feet away before moving to sit on it. She settled next to him, leaving a few inches between them, and looked down at a small beetle that was making its way through the long grass at their feet.

"Nariko," and she lifted her head to study his face. He smelled nervous, but he looked as bored as he usually did. It was kind of adorable. "I was wondering," he said in his usual slow drawl, "if you'd want to go out with me."

"Go...out...with you?" She said a little faintly. "Like...on a date?"

He tilted his head to the side and smirked at her, causing her heartbeat to pick up. "Aa. Well, hopefully more than one date, really."

"I..." Nariko stared at him, happiness bubbling in her chest. She'd liked Shikamaru for years, now, and couldn't quite believe this was happening. She'd always figured he'd choose somebody that his clan would be more likely to approve of...at that thought her heart dropped into her stomach, and the smile that had been forming on her face fell with it.

His smirk faded as she looked down and to the side. "Nariko...?"

"I - I don't know if that's a good idea, Shikamaru," she said in a small voice. She didn't look at him as he went silent, and his scent soured.

"Oh. Sorry, I...thought you liked me, too." he cleared his throat and stood quickly, and she winced as her nose told her how much she'd hurt his feelings, though a glance at him showed that his face had dropped into an apathetic mask. "You should keep the flowers, though, if you want. Or, if you don't, you can just throw them away."

She stood as he turned on his heel and took a few steps back the way they'd come, much faster than his usual amble. "Wait!" He stopped and she shifted uncomfortably. "I - I do like you. I like you a lot," she said in a small voice, and he slowly turned around to study her.

"Then...what's the problem?" he asked, and took a few careful steps towards her.

"I...that is the problem," she admitted, and stared harder at the ground.

He hummed, and a finger under her chin forced her to meet his gaze. His brows were furrowed and he was studying her like she was a particularly vexing puzzle. Finally, he sighed explosively. "Women are so troublesome," he grumbled. "If you like me, and I like you, then how is there a problem?"

She bit her lip, and forced herself to square her shoulders and look him in the eye. Nariko would tell him the truth - it was better than letting him believe she was rejecting him. "I just, I don't think I'd be very good at casual dating, Shikamaru. I'd just end up hurt in the end, and I think it'd ruin our friendship."

He just looked more baffled. "...What?"

She sighed and struggled to find the right words. "I mean, I know there's no guarantees, but I - I really like you, Shikamaru, and my family...once we care for somebody it's not easy for us to stop. So, I don't think I could date you knowing that there was no chance at all of us...being long term," she finished lamely.

He blinked slowly at her a few times. "This isn't something I say very often, but, I don't understand."

Nariko glared at him. Was he really this dense? "I  _mean,_ I don't just want to be the girl you date while you wait to meet somebody that your clan would approve of," she snapped. She went to step around him, but his hand shot out to grab her arm.

"Nariko,  _what are you talking about?_ Why would you think that my clan doesn't approve of you?"

She felt his eyes boring into the side of her head, and clutched the flowers in her hand to her chest. "W-well, you're the next clan head. I figured that you'd marry somebody that's, well. Better suited to supporting you than the black sheep of the Inuzuka clan," she said with a shrug.

He sighed. "We really need to do something about how you see yourself," he said, then gently turned her to face him. "Nariko, look at me." She reluctantly did so, and was surprised to see him looking at her with a fond expression.

"First of all, my parents like you, but even if they didn't, it doesn't matter. Who I date and eventually marry is my business, no matter what the clan elders think. Second, what makes you think you aren't head of clan material?" He held up one finger, "you're the niece of and live with the head of a prominent and well-respected clan, which means you already help with the day-to-day of running a clan," two fingers, "you're a talented kunoichi on the jounin track," a third finger, "your father is a good friend of my father." He threw his hands in the air and said, "lastly,  _I like you_." Nariko blinked a few times, not used to seeing him worked up about...anything, ever. Then, she considered what he had said about her. She hadn't really thought of it that way. She  _did_ end up helping Hana and Tsume with some of the day-to-day running of the clan. Heck, she'd been helping them balance their books when Shikamaru showed up that very day.

"Oh," she said. Now she felt a little silly. Maybe it was time to stop thinking of herself as a peripheral member of her clan...

"Now that we have that out of the way," he drawled in the tone of voice he used to let people know they'd done something particularly stupid, "let's try this again. Nariko, will you go out with me tomorrow night, and possibly consider being my girlfriend."

He then gave that arrogant smirk that made her want to smack him and kiss him at the same time, and for a moment she just gaped.

Then, happiness bubbling in her chest, she grinned at him. "Aa, I'd like that," she said.

000

Shikamaru walked her back to the house, took one look at her aunt lounging on the back porch and immediately listed off chores his mother had for him to do and took off after giving her hand a small squeeze. She floated into the house, ignoring Tsume's ribbing as Hana smiled brightly at the flowers in her hands.

"Oh, Nariko-chan, he brought you flowers?" She nodded shyly as Hana took her arm and led her into the kitchen, where Akemi was glaring at the chicken he'd pulled out of the oven and muttering to himself. Hana talked her through trimming the stems under the water before putting them in a vase, and Nariko was still staring at them when the doorbell rang.

"That'll be our  _actual_ guests," Akemi said with as much dignity as he could muster while wearing an apron, and went to let Hinata and Hiashi in.

Nariko immediately pulled Hinata over to her flowers, and they fell into a whispered conversation with Hana punctuated by giggles as Nariko told them about her scheduled date. Hinata was smiling softly at her, obviously pleased for her friend. Hana was already planning her outfit and promised to help her with her hair and makeup. Akemi was slamming pots around in the kitchen, and Tsume was teasing Hiashi about how "Soon it'll be Hinata who has boys knockin' down your door."

Hiashi stiffened minutely but bore Tsume's teasing with his usual poise and grace as Akemi announced that dinner was done. "This looks very good, Akemi-kun," Nariko said gently, hoping to pull him out of his bad mood.

He sniffed as he served himself some rice. "Yes, well, mama always said a man who can cook would make a good husband. I bet _Shikamaru-san_ can't cook," he said the last under his breath, but Nariko heard it anyway. She sighed but didn't reply. Hopefully Akemi's crush would fade soon.

"So," Tsume said casually, and Hiashi glanced at her warily from his spot next to her. "You hear our kids chose their specialization?"

He gently set his chopsticks down on his plate. "I did not. I had assumed they would be a tracking team, as our team was before them."

Nariko reached out and gripped Hinata's hand, who had cringed down low and was staring at her lap. "Nah, not our kids - they've got vision. Sarutobi-sama himself stopped me yesterday to tell me how impressed he was with their progress. Even got them a civilian contractor to teach them."

Hiashi gave his daughter a steady look, obviously knowing his old teammate well enough that he understood he wasn't going to like where this was going. "Oh? And what is this mysterious specialty?"

"Acquisition, Hiashi-sama," Nariko finally said when it became obvious that Hinata was frozen next to her. Silence met that proclamation. Finally, he spoke.

"Absolutely not. I will not have the heir to the Hyuuga clan become a common thief," he bit out.

"She's a shinobi doing her duty, not a common thief," Hana said, lips tight and eyes narrowed. Akemi had leaned back and was staring at Hiashi, wide-eyed.

"Oh? Then who is this civilian contractor? If this were a true shinobi calling, they would be taught by a shinobi." He snapped.

"Biro-sensei is just a supplementary teacher, Hiashi-sama -" Nariko hastened to say, and cut herself off when his face paled with anger.

" _Biro? The_ Biro? The thief that was captured after stealing priceless jewels from the Daimyo's mother? Captured by your team's sensei, no less!" Well, that was news to Nariko. Suddenly Biro's ANBU escort and Kurenai's less-than-happy attitude about his presence made a lot more sense.

"Come on, now, you have to admit the man was good to get as far as he did -" Tsume started from where she was leaned back in her chair, faux-relaxed, watching Hiashi from under hooded eyes. Nariko swallowed. She knew that look - Tsume and Hana both wore it right before they lost their tempers.

"Just because your niece was raised by common criminals along with your frivolous brother does not mean I will allow Hinata to -" Tsume slammed a hand down on the table as both Suoh and Kuromaru stood, growling deep in their chests.

Hiashi shut up, but he didn't look ready to back down. "Girls, Akemi-kum," Tsume said in a low, rough voice. "Why don't you go on out and visit the dogs in the kennels. We got a few sick pups that got into something today that could use some attention."

Nariko grabbed Hinata's hand and tugged her out the door, Suoh following at her heels, still furious at the insult to Tsuneo. Akemi and Taka both scrambled to follow.

"I - I'm sorry," Hinata said when they made it to the kennels and Nariko let out a breath of relieved air. Akemi had wandered further down the aisle between kennels, obviously trying to give them space.

"For what?" she said.

"My father - he shouldn't have said that about -" Nariko  _pffted_ and waved her hand in the air.

"Not like I haven't heard it before, and we all knew he was thinkin' it every time he looked at my dad," she said with a small smile. "I'm not ashamed of my family or the way I was raised, so it doesn't bother me. I'm just sorry it's made things difficult for you." Nariko chewed on her lower lip. "You know, if your dad gives you a hard time, Shino and I would be okay with requesting a change in specialization," Nariko forced herself to say, though the thought caused a cold lump of disappointment to form in her stomach.

"No!" Hinata said, making Nariko jump a little at her uncharacteristic vehemence. She continued on, more calmly, as they knelt next to the puppies that had escaped and eaten something they shouldn't. They were doing their best to look as pitiful as possible, already knowing that Hinata was a soft touch.

"No, I don't want to do that. It - it isn't like they'll allow me to become clan head in the end, anyway," she said with a shrug. "So, it does not matter what I do for my job."

"Hinata..." Nariko faltered, not sure what to say to her friend. She was painfully familiar with the feeling of not being good enough, after all, and knew words wouldn't help. Instead, she reached out and squeezed her hand in silent support.

000

Nariko jumped as the doorbell rang, and Hana grinned and rubbed her hands together. "Oh man, I can't wait to see the lazy little guy's face when he sees you," she said cheerfully.

"His name is Shikamaru," Nariko grumbled for about the fifth time, though she knew it was pointless. "And...maybe I should change," she said a little nervously as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"Nope!" Hana said cheerfully. "Mom won't stop talking about all the joint medical research our clans can do if you bag the Nara heir. It's almost my duty to help her reel him in by dressing you up."

"Help  _her_ reel him in...?" Nariko said a little faintly. "And he's not a - an acquisition!" she hissed as Hana moved forward to adjust the hem of her dress.

"Oh honey, you have so much to learn," Tsume said from the doorway, and she and Hana let out identical cackles. Nariko just hung her head and sighed. Everyone assumed Hana had so much more dignity than her mother, but anybody who spent time with the woman would discover just how not-true that was. She just happened to brush her hair more often.

"Alright, your prince is waiting for you. Let me get a look at ya," Tsume said, and Nariko blushed but dutifully did a spin.

She was wearing a spring green sundress with capped sleeves and a shallow scooped neckline. It was snug without being tight down to her hips, where it flared out until ending at mid-thigh, so that the skirt swished and flipped as she walked. Hana said it was flirty. Nariko said it was short.

"Okay, now smile," Tsume said, and Nariko blinked against the flash of the camera. "There, your father will want a picture."

Nariko sighed, and flipped her primped and brushed curls behind a shoulder. "Can I please just go?"

"Yes, yes, come on," Tsume said. "We'd better get out there before he falls asleep and misses your whole date."

Nariko ignored her aunt's teasing and brushed by her, stalking down the hallway and into the sitting room, where she could hear Suoh and Shikamaru talking in low voices. "...you already know she loves almonds, but she hates umeboshi, so..." Suoh was saying to Shikamaru, who was sitting on the couch with his feet stretched out in front of him, hands in his pockets and slouched over. He turned half-lidded eyes towards her when she entered the room, and Nariko couldn't help but feel a little pleased when his eyes opened all the way and he straightened when he caught sight of her.

He stood and cleared his throat, cheeks going a little pink as his eyes flicked down her body and back up quickly, as though he'd just realized that he was blatantly checking her out. "Nariko. You look nice. Pretty, I mean. You look...really pretty."

Tsume and Hana both let out a bark of laughter, but Nariko ignored them in favor of smiling brightly at Shikamaru. "Thank you," she said. They stared at each other for a moment before Tsume let out a noise of impatience.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Right. Um. I'll have her back before nine, Tsume-sama," he said, eyes going half lidded again and shoulders slouching back to their usual position.

Tsume narrowed her eyes, and Nariko grabbed Shikamaru's hand and started tugging him towards the door. "Okay, bye Hana-neesan, bye Tsume-obasan, bye Suoh!"

She slammed the door behind her, blocking out Hana and Tsume's protests and Suoh's chuffing laughter. Shikamaru blinked at her in shock for a moment, and then looked down at their clasped hands. Nariko felt her cheeks somehow heat even more than they already had, and went to pull her hand back.

Shikamaru just sighed and tightened his fingers around hers, then turned to walk down the porch. She fell into step beside him, biting her lip to keep from smiling as he adjusted their grip until their fingers were intertwined. A glance at him showed his cheeks were also a light pink, though he was wearing his standard bored expression.

"Sorry about them," Nariko finally said. "They're pretty much always like that. Next time, we can just meet somewhere. I mean, if there is a next time!" She quickly stuttered as she realized what she'd said.

"I told you," he said in a slow, calm voice, and glanced over at her, "that I wanted to pick you up from your house. It would be worse if I tried to sneak around with you and your aunt decided to have me killed." He paused. "But maybe next time we can meet somewhere," he grumbled.

Nariko giggled, and he smirked, pleased to have made her laugh. She ignored the guard at the gate's double-take when she walked past him holding hands with with heir to the laziest clan in Konoha.

"So, where are we going?" she asked as she began to relax.

"Hmmm, I thought we'd go to the curry place across from the blacksmith," he said.

Nariko brightened. "Oh! I love curry!"

"I know," he said a little smugly, and she shook her head at him even as a fond smile spread over her face.

"Of course you do. Hey, I heard your team finally got your first C-rank!" she said.

He sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Yeah, and it was a total drag."

Nariko grinned and bumped her hip against his leg. "It was a drag like Naruto's first mission, or a drag like you were forced to give up your mid morning nap?"

His lip quirked up on one side. "The latter. If it was the former I doubt we'd have survived. According to Ino we barely made it through our simple courier mission alive," he grumbled.

They slowed as they approached the curry restaurant, and she breathed in the spicy scents, mouth watering. He let go of her hand so he could reach forward and open the door for her. Nariko flashed him a smile as she moved past him, and he cleared his throat before following.

The hostess did a double take when Shikamaru asked for a table for two, obviously recognizing him and the fact that he was on a date. She kept her peace, however, and led them to a table. Nariko sat down across from Shikamaru, blushing when he met her eyes squarely.

She cleared her throat. "So, what was it about your mission that had Ino so worked up?" she asked, and found herself leaning forward as he put an elbow on the table and rested a cheek in his palm.

"Probably the walking, the camping, the heat, and the bugs," he said promptly, and Nariko laughed.

"So, everything that you'd expect on a C-ranked mission outside of the village," she replied, and he smirked.

"Aa. I thought Asuma was going to strangle us by the time we got back. Chouji ran out of chips halfway through and just about had a panic attack." After that they fell into an easy conversation about their teams and training. Nariko even got a huff of laughter out of him when she told him about Kurenai and Biro's antagonistic relationship. Her heart had increased its rhythm at the flash of perfect white teeth.

When their food arrived, Nariko hummed in appreciation. Shikamaru, who had looked at her like she was crazy when she ordered the spiciest curry on the menu, watched her reaction warily. "That's good," she sighed as the spice lit up her taste buds.

"Seriously," Shikamaru deadpanned. "That's not too spicy for you? I kind of figured I'd have to be a gentleman and switch you plates or something."

Nariko rolled her eyes at that as she shook her head and swallowed her bite. "Nah. My father and I spent a lot of time in Iron Country when I used to travel with him, and they favor spicy dishes."

Shikamaru studied her with interest. "What's it like there? That's where your mom was from, right?"

Nariko nodded. "That's right. It's...cold," she said with a little laugh. "Dad always says that's why their food is so spicy - they have to keep warm somehow. The people themselves also seem cold when you first meet them, but...really they're just very reserved. Honor and respect are very important aspects of their culture, and it can make them seem very distant at first."

They talked a bit more about the places she'd been with Tsuneo as they ate. Afterwards, Shikamaru paid the bill, and Nariko raised an eyebrow as she heard the hostess and their waitress gossiping across the restaurant. "...papa says a Nara never dates unless they're serious," the hostess was saying. "They're much too lazy to bother."

"What, you think an Inuzuka might end up the next lady of the Nara clan? How  _cute,_ and Tsume-sama's niece!" The waitress squealed. Nariko immediately went red, but she avoided Shikamaru's eye when he gave her a questioning glance.

"I mean, I think they're a little young to jump to that conclusion, though  _apparently_ Shikaku-sama knew right after meeting Yoshino-sama that he wanted to marry her. Chouza-ojisama loves to tell stories about him following her around and trying to get her to date him, but she kept turning him down. I guess he was a complete disaster at courting. So romantic!"

Nariko couldn't help but giggle at that nugget of information. Shikaku seemed so cool and apathetic, but she was beginning to think he might be a bit of a dork. When they were clear of the restaurant she told a curious Shikamaru what she'd overheard - well, she told him the part about Shikaku, not the part where they were wondering if Nariko was Shikamaru's future wife.

He just smirked. "Aa, dad is _still_ kind of a disaster with mom. He loves her, but can't seem to keep from getting her worked up just by existing. I'm pretty sure he spends two out of every ten nights on the couch."

Nariko giggled at the image of the fierce jounin commander being relegated to the couch by his wife, and Shikamaru sent her a smirk before reaching for her hand. She bit her lip and glanced at him, forcing herself to breath through the butterflies in her stomach.

He led her to the park, which was pleasantly cool in the low evening light, and silent now that most of the children were home for dinner and bedtime. They sat on a bench nestled between two trees, and Nariko closed her eyes and breathed in the pleasant scents of loam and plants. Shikamaru smelled of curry and contentment, and before she could talk her self out of it, she slipped her sandals off and curled her feet up and to the side, then leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder.

He stilled in shock for a moment before clearing his throat and lifting his arm to put around her shoulders, letting her head fit more comfortably in the crook of his arm. Hesitantly, he picked up a lock of her hair and fiddled with it. After a few minutes Nariko opened her eyes.

"This is nice," she said in a quiet voice, and he hummed in agreement. Nariko watched with half-lidded eyes as the world darkened around them and the sound of crickets singing filled the park.

"We should go, or I'll be late getting you home," he said in a quiet voice an indeterminate amount of time later. Nariko rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and grumbled, causing his shoulder to shake in silent laughter.

"Well, we could stay here, but then you might have to find a new boyfriend after Tsume and Kuromaru rip me to shreds," he said a little too casually.

"She wouldn't do that, she wants me to marry you so she can use your clan for its medical research," Nariko mumbled sleepily, then lurched upright as she realized what she'd said. "I mean -!" she exclaimed, but then stopped and blinked when she saw that Shikamaru was outright laughing. She blinked at the adorable dimple that had appeared on his left cheek, and the way his eyes were glinting in the streetlamp that had come on a few minutes ago.

After a few seconds he calmed down and leaned back, smirking at her. "So, your clan just wants to use me for my clan's research, hm?" he teased, and she ducked her head to hide her grin.

"Well, we Inuzuka can be quite ruthless, you know," she said, and looked up at him from under her lashes. He tilted his head to the side, then reached forward and lifted her chin with a finger.

"That's alright," he said. "I don't mind ruthless." She beamed at him and his expression softened. She studied his relaxed demeanor, and had a sudden realization. She didn't  _care_ whether people approved of her or not, or whether she was Inuzuka enough or too Inuzuka or whatever. She wanted Nara Shikamaru, and as long as he was a willing participant, she was going to to keep him.

He must have seen something change in her expression, because he suddenly looked wary. "Nariko, what -" she cut him off when she darted forward and hugged him.

Shikamaru stiffened for a minute before relaxing and wrapping his arms around her. After a few minutes, he sighed. "As much as I'd like to stay like this," he said in a slightly nervous voice, "we really will be late if we don't leave."

Nariko slipped her shoes back on, and didn't even try to keep the pleased smile off her face on their walk back to the Inuzuka compound. He escorted her all the way to her front porch, and she turned and faced him after letting go of his hand. Aware of the ears that were probably listening in on their every word, she cleared her throat.

"Thank you, Shikamaru-kun, I...I had a lot of fun." Her gaze darted up to meet his, and though his hands were in his pockets and he was slouched over, his eyes were warm.

"Aa, me too. There's a play in the square behind the Hokage Tower next week. I think there will be some stands and games set up, too. If we don't have missions, and you're not grounded again, do you want to go with me?"

Nariko beamed at him, not missing the way his cheeks went just a little pinker in the porch light as she did. "I - yes. That sounds like fun."

He cleared his throat and his eyes darted to the side. "Good. Well, then, I'll...see you later."

"Yes. Um, goodbye, Shikamaru." After a moment of hesitation, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek, then fled into the house before the sounds of her family snickering in the sitting room became too loud.

000

"Have you talked to Hinata at all?" Nariko asked, then grunted as she pulled herself over a jagged, crumbling section of wall.

"I have not. Why? Because outside of practice her father has not allowed her out of the house," Shino said from his spot next to her as he found a foothold in the stone.

Nariko huffed, then squeaked as the stone she was using to stabilize herself popped out of the wall. Shino grabbed her arm and she sent him a thankful look.

"I've never seen Tsume-obasan so mad at Hiashi-sama," she said after they'd both made it another few feet up the wall. "I don't think they've talked since, which is weird for them. Usually they find a reason to meet up every few days if they're both in the village."

Shino finally reached the top of the wall, and offered her his hand, tugging her up the last few feet. For a moment they stopped to catch their breath before peeking over the other side.

They were at the home of a noble who was suspected to be not-so-much on the right side of the law. As he had gone with his family on vacation the day before, the grounds were empty. Only the groundskeeper was still around, and he had left twenty minutes ago for his bi-monthly trip to the nearest village.

Their mission was to find a way to prove that the owners were involved with a black market smuggling ring, or at least a hint of it for Intelligence to run with. Since there weren't any guards, it had been decided that a genin team training under a civilian thief would be perfect, especially considering the fact that they couldn't use chakra. Considering they never used chakra when training with Biro, the Hokage had cheerfully handed the C-rank over to Team Eight.

Apparently the owners of the house had seals throughout the property that would blare out an alarm loud enough to be heard for miles if anybody used chakra on the premises, so they were stuck doing it all 'the old fashioned way,' as Biro liked to say.

Hinata had stayed behind with Kurenai and Suoh to keep an eye on the road with her Byakugan in case the groundskeeper came back earlier than expected.

It was the first chance Nariko and Shino had to talk about their teammate in the past week, as Shino had been busy at home in the evenings and Hinata was always with them during practice. The girl had been obviously down, and nothing Nariko, Shino and Suoh did seemed to get more than a small smile out of her.

They silently began the scramble down the thirty foot wall (Nariko wondered if the owners of said wall realized how much that screamed 'we're up to something shady'). When their feet touched the ground, Nariko lifted her nose to the air. Flowers from the garden, and the lingering scent of the now-absent family. No sounds other than the normal ones of insects buzzing and wind rustling through trees reached her ears.

"We're clear," she muttered, and Shino nodded. They had memorized a layout of the large sprawling house from the packet Intelligence had provided, and took a moment to get their bearings. Finally, Shino tilted his head towards the east, and Nariko nodded her own in agreement.

"...My father told me last night that he heard a rumor that the elders are pushing for Hinata's younger sister to take over as successor to Hiashi-sama." Nariko breathed in sharply at that piece of information.

"Hinata is worth ten of them," she muttered, and he hummed his agreement. They went silent as they neared the entrance to the mansion, and Nariko turned to act as look out while Shino sent a stream of kikaichu under the door and into the house to check for traps or unexpected people.

"It is empty," he said, and then the unmistakable scrape of a lock being picked met Nariko's straining ears.

She let out a low whistle at the opulence of the house as they entered, but by mutual agreement they didn't speak. They moved through the twisting hallways and up a staircase, only disagreeing once on the direction (they were both wrong, Nariko thought it was left, Shino thought it was right, and it turned out they needed to go straight), but they came to the study door fairly quickly.

Nariko once again kept watch while Shino checked for traps and then picked the lock. They entered the small study and closed the door gently behind them. It was lined in bookshelves which held a multitude of scrolls, books, and items of interest. They walked right past them, Nariko going to the desk and Shino to the filing cabinet. Biro had told them that most crooked business people tended to try and hide the shady stuff in with the legal dealings.

"Hiding in plain sight," he'd said with a sharp grin.

"Maybe we should go talk to Hiashi-sama," Nariko muttered under her breath, picking up the conversation from where they'd left off almost fifteen minutes ago. She carefully went through the papers on the desk, making sure to put everything where she had found it when nothing jumped out as what they were looking for.

"Hmmm. I do not think that is a good idea. Why? Because Hiashi-sama has a lot of pride, and two genin trying to tell him he is wrong would not go over well." Nariko sighed, and couldn't help but agree with his assessment as she opened a drawer full of office supplies. Nope, not there. The one below it held a pile of files, and she knelt down to start looking through them. Deeds to the house, trade agreements - they seemed above board, as they all had the Daimyo's stamp of approval...

"We could instead do something to cheer Hinata up. We cannot change her situation, but we can show her we support her," Shino said as Nariko was gently shutting the drawer and moving on to the next one.

"That's a good idea," she said absently, then, "hey, I need to pick the lock to this drawer - can you send in one of your partners to check for traps?"

Shino went still for a moment, and then a beetle was landing on the drawer and squeezing through the crack. When it popped back out and flew to Shino, the boy cleared his throat. "No traps."

Nariko went about picking the lock with the lock picking set Biro-sensei had given her, narrowing her eyes in concentration so she didn't scuff it and give away that they were there later. "...you referred to my kikaichu as my partners," Shino said from where he was looking through his fifth drawer.

"Mm, well, that's what they are, right?" Nariko muttered as the lock clicked open.

"...Yes," he said, but she cut him off before he could continue when she crowed quietly in delight.

"This seems promising!" she said excitedly, and he immediately came to stand next to her as she removed a notebook from the drawer and opened it. "Huh," she muttered as she took in what looked to gibberish to her.

"...it is in code. We have...forty minutes until we are supposed to meet up with Kurenai-sensei and Hinata." Shino said.

"Well...let's just copy down as much as we can," Nariko muttered, pulling a small notebook from her pouch that she'd brought just for that purpose. She scribbled down what she could while Shino went back to the filing cabinets.

"I found what seems to be an unlabeled budget sheet," he stated. "It looks similar to the account sheets we keep for our dealings with outside clans."

"Hmm, copy that, too, then," Nariko said. They stayed a few minutes longer than they should have, but Nariko had managed to copy down everything that was in the thin notebook, and Shino had found three more unlabeled and vague budget sheets.

They put everything back how they had found it, and locked up the doors behind them as they moved quickly but carefully out of the house. "Maybe we could buy her something," Nariko whispered as they started clambering over the wall.

"I believe she is able to buy herself the things she wants, and it would not hold the meaning we are hoping for." Nariko grunted as she pulled herself up over the wall.

"A party?" she tried.

"..."

"Right, Hinata hates parties." They scrambled down the other side of the wall and took off into a jog.

"Something that says we're a team no matter what - even if she isn't the next head of her stuffy clan," Nariko mumbled.

Shino hummed. "I believe I have an idea," he finally said, and Nariko grinned as he explained.

000

Jackal had been in ANBU for almost a year, and she was starting to realize that being a part of the organization really changed the way a person viewed the village. For example, she'd spent a portion of her shift guarding the Hokage from the ceiling listening to Hyuuga Hiashi bitch at Sarutobi Hiruzen about the 'undignified and shameful' specialization his daughter was being shuffled into, effectively shattering the image she had of him as a logical and distinguished man.

Jackal had been silently baffled, despite the fact that, as ANBU, she wasn't supposed to have any thoughts at all on what happened in the Hokage's office. Was there  _any_ part of being a kunoichi or shinobi that was dignified? The week before she'd ended up covered in urine and brain matter before diving into a lake that also happened to house very enthusiastic leeches to escape the guards of the man she'd killed. While wearing a tattered cocktail dress. That had been an uncomfortable trip to the medics. And Jackal was considered one of  _the_ elite of the village.

Of course, Jackal was also on Biro-watching duty the day Kurenai had been gone and Biro decided to teach Team Eight how to rob the citizens of Konoha. She'd spent the day following Biro around as he'd trailed his students, watching him snicker they pick pocketed the village's unsuspecting civilians and ninja forces. So maybe Hiashi had a  _slight_ point.

The Hokage had just sighed deeply when she reported in that day, and said in his slow, steady way, "Perhaps we can...keep this between the two of us, hmm?" As though she might actually stick her hand into that hornet's nest. It wasn't like Jackal planned on running to Shikaku and telling him exactly where his favorite pen had gone. That man was terrifying. Less so now that she'd seen him worked over by a twelve year old girl, but still.

Currently Jackal was out of her ANBU gear and sitting at an open noodle bar, enjoying a rare day off, when the Hyuuga heir and her two genin teammates walked past her. She immediately choked on her yakisoba when she overheard their conversation.

"...if father finds out I got a tattoo, he'll be so angry," Hinata was saying as she rubbed distractedly at her hip. Despite her words, her face was pleased. The Inuzuka girl, whose cheeks were flushed beneath her clan markings with the all-too-familiar signs of a recent adrenaline rush, lightly smacked Hinata's hand from her hip and scolded her about proper tattoo aftercare.

 _So this is what it looks like when a member of the Hyuuga clan rebels. Training with master thieves and getting tattoos,_ Jackal thought to herself. For a moment she felt almost sorry for Hiashi. Then she remembered what a condescending asshole he was.

"He does not need to know. Why? Because only the Hokage and our commanding officers need to be aware of potential identifying marks," the Aburame said, a little smugly in Jackal's opinion.

"That's right," the large ninken that was trailing them said, then, "Did you know, many Inuzuka get tattoos when they find permanent team members? It is a sign of pride in their team and a declaration."

Jackal left behind her noodles to discreetly follow them, knowing that the Hokage would want an update on the genin team he'd become ridiculously fond of. He had even told Danzo, in no uncertain terms, that he was to keep away from them or suffer the consequences. It had been awesome.

"R-really?" Hinata stuttered.

"Well, duh, why do you think I agreed when Shino suggested it?" the other girl said, and flipped her curls over her shoulder to look back and grin at the heir. Whatever she saw on Hinata's face must have been concerning, because she immediately stopped and turned around fully, causing the other two members of her team to stop abruptly. Her face had gone serious and fierce, her eyes glinting and clan tattoos stark against her pale skin and small features. "Hinata, I'm really sorry your dad is giving you a hard time. But Shino and I, we want you to know that you've always got us. We don't care if you're clan head or not, y'know? We like you just the way you are."

"That is correct," The Aburame - Shino - said, apparently having inherited the rest of his clan's propensity for succinctness.

Jackal melted back into the shadows when a distinct sniffling sound came from Hinata, though she still couldn't see the girl's face. There was no way she was sticking around to witness an awkward group hug, or whatever was about to happen. She wasn't that dedicated to getting the Hokage his gossip.

000

Shikaku looked up from where he was reading through a file in the kitchen as his son sauntered in, hands in his pockets, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Yoshino was already in bed, but Shikaku had found himself waiting up for his son. It wasn't every day your only child started courting a girl, after all. With slight success, too, if the fact that she agreed to a second date was any indication.

"Hmm, how was the play?" He asked, and had to lift the file to cover his smirk when his son's face morphed into an expression Shikaku was sure Inoichi would say was 'dreamy.' Maybe the Yamanaka had a point about Nara men and love. There was no way he had ever made an expression like the one on his son's face...right?

"...it was good," Shikamaru grumbled a moment later, nonchalant expression once again firmly in place.

"How's Nariko?" He pressed, and his son's cheeks turned a slight pink.

"...fine."

Shikaku grunted in acknowledgement, and with all the forced casualness he could muster, said, "That's good. Your mom wants you to invite Nariko and her family for dinner next week."

Silence. Shikaku waited for the grumbling, and actually raised his eyebrow in surprise when all he got was, "Fine. I'll ask her."

Shikaku lowered the file as he heard his son's footsteps come closer. Shikamaru reached into a pocket, and Shikaku blinked as he pulled out the fancy silver pen that the Sandaime had given him when he became Jounin Commander. He'd misplaced it weeks ago, so how did Shikamaru get it?

"Nariko asked me to give this to you," Shikamaru said in a bored voice, but Shikaku didn't miss the way his eyes had sharpened in question. "She said she thought you dropped it a few weeks ago when you helped her out with something."

Shikaku reached out and bemusedly took the pen, his thoughts immediately going to the day he'd caught the Inuzuka girl when she was falling off the fountain. He remembered the way she'd grabbed onto his flak jacket as though afraid she would overbalance again, and his eyes narrowed. Come to think of it, it  _was_ pretty unusual for an Inuzuka to be so clumsy. They prided themselves on their complete control over their bodies - after all, their clan techniques would never work without it. She'd just looked so adorable when she was praising him for how cool he was...

Realization hit, and he looked over at his son, who was now staring out the window looking pensive - no doubt thinking about his date. He startled when Shikaku started to laugh, and turned shocked eyes on his father.

"Dad...what's so funny?" he asked after a few moments.

Shikaku huffed as he got control of himself and lazily waved a hand in the air. "Ah, I just realized how hilarious it is," he said, and paused.

Shikamaru huffed, but played along. "How hilarious  _what_ is?"

Shikaku smirked at his son. "You seem to think you've one-upped your old man, and fallen in love with a woman less troublesome than your mother." Shikamaru's eyes narrowed at him as he continued. "Somehow, I just don't think that's the case."

Shikaku stood before his son could gather his thoughts enough to ask questions, and patted him on the shoulder as he went by. "It just doesn't seem like as much trouble when they're smiling at you like you're the only thing in the world, ne? Don't worry, you'll learn."

He left Shikamaru gaping at his back in the kitchen, and went to join his wife in bed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nariko gets an unexpected visitor, and she gets to put all of her newly learned skills in sneakiness to the test.

"Aaaah, It's been so long since we did this," Naruto said, stretching his hands above his head languidly where he was lying a few feet away.

"Eh, speak for yourself," Shikamaru said, his stomach vibrating pleasantly under Nariko's head as he spoke.

"Yeah, this lazy bones is up here almost every day when he  _should_ be training," Ino griped, but it didn't hold much heat.

The day was cool compared to the heat wave that had been holding Konoha hostage the past week, and Nariko, Hinata, Shino and Naruto had ended up joining Team Ten on Shikamaru's cloud watching hill to enjoy the breeze and reduced temperature.

Suoh huffed out a laugh from where he was stretched out next to Nariko. Shikamaru just grumbled something indecipherable even to Nariko's ears and fiddled with one of her curls that were spread out around her after she'd carefully taken her braid and spikes out. They were a bit of a mess, honestly, but Shikamaru hadn't seemed to mind when she laid down and used him as a pillow, and had been leisurely playing with her hair since.

"Nariko-chaaan, is Akemi staying over at your place tonight?" Naruto gave her a wide-eyed, pleading look, and she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, he's cooking dinner, and yes you can come over," she said, a smile playing on her lips as he cheered.

When it was time to go home, Shikamaru snagged her hand before she could follow Naruto and her team down the hill. She glanced at him, frowning a little as she realized he was nervous about something.

"My mom is sending your aunt an invitation to come to dinner at our place," he grumbled. "It's a pain, but she wants our families to..."

He trailed off when he saw Nariko beaming at him, and blinked a few times. "Okay," she said. "I look forward to it."

"You...do?" he asked, and she nodded, still smiling. "You know, my mom is kind of a pain. She says whatever she wants without thinking it through, so she'll probably say something embarrassing..."

Charmed by his uncharacteristic babbling, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. He stopped talking, eyes cutting to the side in what she now knew was his look of pleased embarrassment.

"You've met my aunt, Shikamaru-kun," she said wryly, and he looked at her and smirked. "I think it's safe to say both of our families will be totally embarrassing."

"Then why are you smiling?" he asked, his own lips curling up enough that he was now smiling instead of just smirking.

Nariko just shrugged and leaned in a bit. "You're the genius, you figure it out," she teased, then before she could lose her nerve she leaned in and nuzzled into his neck, just where the jugular lay beneath the surface. She pulled back quickly and barely caught sight of his floored expression before she was racing down the hill to catch up with Suoh.

Her heart was beating a little fast, because, yes, she'd just added eau de Nariko to Shikamaru, and it was  _embarrassing._ And satisfying, because when anybody with good enough senses walked by him, there's no way they wouldn't catch her scent. A big, flashing sign that said  _Nariko was here._

Suoh was chuffing at her, and she rolled her eyes and waved off Hinata's questioning look while Naruto went into another Sasuke rant. Nariko glanced at him, because even though he wasn't saying the nicest things about Sasuke, he smelled content, and had a grin on his face. Interesting - maybe his team wasn't as terrible as she'd assumed.

They entered Nariko's house the way they always did when Naruto with with her - loudly, and with much fanfare. Hinata giggled as Naruto tripped over himself trying to get his shoes off and landed face first in Nariko's house slippers. They helped him up amidst laughter and made their way towards the living room. When they were halfway there, Nariko stopped and put her nose in the air.

That scent...she knew it. But she hadn't smelled it for  _years,_ not since she'd moved to Konoha. Hinata had also stopped and was frowning at her. "Nariko-chan," she said softly. "Are you okay?"

Nariko started, and nodded stiffly. She had a bad a feeling about why he would be there, and she moved forward hesitantly. When she entered the family room, Tsume and Hana were there, and Nariko inhaled sharply at the tears on her cousin's face. Tsume was tense and she smelled of pain.

The third person in the room was standing, studying her with the same calm, icy gaze she remembered from summer days spent at his estate.

"Noboru-ojisan?" she asked through numb lips. "What - what are you doing here?" Nariko was aware of Naruto crowding up behind her and complaining that she was blocking the doorway, but the sounds he was making were muffled behind the beating of her own heart in her ears.

 _I don't want to hear this,_ she thought to herself, even as Noboru glanced down at the coffee table and began to speak. Slowly, inexorably, she followed his gaze.

"Nariko-chan, darling. I am so sorry." It took her a moment to make sense of what was on the table. When she did, her whole body went numb, and the next thing she knew she was on her knees.

"-Riko-chan? What's wrong with her? Who are you?" Naruto was demanding behind her.

Then Suoh was there, leaning against her, nuzzling into her. "Nariko, my Nariko, I'm here."

"Suoh," she sobbed, and it felt like the sound was ripped out of her. She buried her face in his neck and wrapped her arms around him, trying to block out what was happening around her. It didn't work, because she couldn't erase the memory of what was lying innocuously on her dining room table.

Two red knitted bandanas with white fangs on them. Two red wristbands. Nariko knew what it meant even before she smelled the blood that Noboru had tried to wash out of them.

It meant that her father was dead.

000

Nariko lay on her bed, Suoh a comforting weight at her side, and stared up at the ceiling. People were moving in and out of her house, and the sounds of howling as her clan honored the death of one of their own echoed through the night air. She wished they would stop, because every mournful wail felt like it was another twist of the knife. Another reminder that she didn't need that Inuzuka Tsuneo was  _dead._

A tear escaped the corner of her eye, and she let it fall. She was pretty sure she'd been crying for hours at that point. Her aunt had eventually just scooped her up and taken her into her room, where she'd curled around her and ran her fingers through her hair and offered silent comfort. She wasn't sure how long she spent staring at the ceiling after Tsume left before her door creaked open, letting light in from the hallway.

"N-Nariko-chan?" Naruto's voice said, and she tightened her hand in Suoh's fur.

"If you're coming in, come in," her partner grumbled. "Just...don't talk, okay?"

The sound of shuffling, and Nariko noted absently that there were more than one set of footfalls before the door closed. Then her bed was dipping, and Hinata's sweet scent filled her nose as the girl wriggled between her and the wall. Nariko glanced down at the end of the bed when there was some awkward scuffling, and saw both Shino and Naruto settling in at her feet. Nobody said anything, but after awhile the cold numbness that had overtaken her body started to fade.

"My father is dead," she said the words out loud for the first time, and next to her Hinata jerked in surprise. They'd been sitting in silence for hours, if the pre-morning light coming in through her window was any indication.

"Nariko..." Naruto said softly and reached out and touched her leg. Nariko covered her face in her hands and started to sob - big, ugly things that shook her whole frame. Suoh pushed up against her more firmly and Hinata tugged her close and put her head on her shoulder. Naruto and Shino had crawled up to squeeze in, and the comfort of their weight on her made her feel less like she was going to fly apart.

Eventually, her crying subsided and she fell into a restless sleep. When she woke up it was just her and Suoh, and it was midmorning. A lot of the numb sorrow had lifted, and it left Nariko with something new - anger. She wanted to know who had taken Tsuneo from her, and then she wanted to tear them apart. She sat up, putting a hand to her aching head.

"Nariko," Suoh said, and pushed his head into her chest. She took a moment to wrap her arms around him, but blinked back her tears. She had something she needed to do. Taking a deep breath, she stood on wobbly legs and made her way to the bathroom.

She splashed cold water on her face to clear her head, but avoided looking in the mirror. Nariko didn't want to meet her own gaze right then.

She dried her face and took a few deep breaths before opening the door, where Suoh was pacing back and forth waiting for her. She could hear the sounds of multiple voices coming from the kitchen, and started walking towards it. The smell of breakfast made her feel sick, and she swallowed a few times before turning the corner.

Hyuuga Hiashi sat next to Tsume at their table, and for a moment Nariko just stared.

"What are you doing here," she said flatly, and Hinata spun to face her from the stove, where she was helping Akemi make breakfast. Tsume's head shot up and studied her face in concern, but Nariko kept her eyes on Hiashi.

"You - you made your opinion on my father perfectly clear last time you were here," she snarled. "So if you came just to  _pretend_ to be sad -"

"Inuzuka Nariko, that is enough," Tsume said in a sharp voice, and Nariko twitched and went quiet. She turned on her heel to leave, and crashed into a firm chest. Arms came around her and pulled her out of the kitchen and she didn't struggle. He was the man she'd originally left the sanctuary of her room to come see, after all.

"Still have your mother's temper, hmm?" Noboru said in a soft voice, and Nariko found herself crying again as he led her into a guest room that smelled like he had slept there last night. He let Suoh in and shut the door behind him.

"Oh, darling, it's alright, hush now," he said, then sat on the bed and tugged her next to him, putting a hand on the back of her head and allowing her to bury her face in what she knew was an expensive silk robe. Suoh sat at her feet and leaned against her.

After a few minutes she pulled herself together and leaned back. A well-manicured hand with calluses from what he called his 'more active years' appeared in front of her face with a handkerchief, and she let him wipe her face as though she was four again and falling out of trees in his gardens.

"There, now, isn't that better?" she just shrugged and looked up into his black eyes, which tended to warm whenever they met her own.

"Don't feel bad, it seems like somebody that stuffy probably had it coming," Noboru said a bit haughtily, and his long, straight, shiny black hair fell forward as he leaned in to kiss her forehead. Suoh huffed out a breath and muttered "you got that right," under his breath.

"You still smell like citrus and mint," she mumbled, and Noboru chuckled.

"Noboru-ojiisan, what - what happened?" she whispered. He leaned back and sighed.

"That is...a good question. How about, I tell you what I know, and we see if we can figure this out, hm?" his voice was mild, but she heard the hint of steel under it. Noboru was furious - Tsuneo had been a close friend, and the Bloody Hand did not suffer those who hurt the people he cared for to live.

With a flick of his wrist, he removed a seal from his sleeve and activated it. The sounds beyond their room immediately cut off.

Noboru was not a shinobi, but his master had been a missing-nin, and he'd taught him to use chakra in ways that would assist him in his chosen profession - that of an assassin. Noboru had gone from assassin and master thief to leader of the only group of assassins that existed outside of hidden villages.

Tsuneo had originally struck a deal with him - information on the underground that Noboru would be privy to due to his network in exchange for Konoha not trying to stamp out the competition. They'd known each other for almost twenty years, and had been friends for sixteen of them.

"Silencing seal?" she said, and he inclined his head.

"Some of what I tell you now is not for the ears of others." Nariko nodded slowly to show she understood. "Do you know why your father decided to send you to live in the village instead of teaching you himself?"

Nariko frowned, thrown by what seemed like an off-topic question. "I - he wanted me to make connections and, and be on a team..."

"No," Noboru said gently. "That's the reason he told you he was sending you back. Nariko-chan, Tsuneo had always planned on keeping you with him. His original plan had been to spend a few months in the village while you found a partner, and then take you with him and train you himself. The Hokage had given him permission already, probably so you could take over his network of informants." Noboru put an arm around her and pulled her against him. "Child, he loved you so much - there wasn't much he was willing to be separated from you for."

Nariko took a shuddering breath, reeling a bit from this bit of information. "But - but then why -?"

"He discovered something," Noboru said slowly. He paused, then cursed. "Dammit, part of me wants to not tell you this."

Nariko leaned back and looked up at him in surprise as he ran a hand down his face. Noboru was almost always put together - not much got to him. But then..."Noboru-ojisan," she whispered, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You lost him too."

Noboru stilled. "Your father was one of my most trusted friends. I want to get the son of a bitch who did this to him. I just don't want to drag you into it, but your father...he left me no choice. To not tell you might mean your death, too, if you trust the wrong people."

"Tell me," she whispered, and he sighed.

"Your father discovered that the Inuzuka Influenza that wiped out almost a quarter of your clan six years ago was no accident."

Nariko's eyes widened, and at her feet, Suoh jolted. "What?" she whispered. "That - how is that possible? It's a sickness -"

"One that only affected your clan? That's not very likely to occur in nature, you know. Your father discovered it was created by Orochimaru himself."

"Orochimaru? But - but why? He was already a missing nin, and our clan hardly had anything to do with him, as far as I know!" It just didn't make any  _sense._ Of course Nariko knew who he was - who didn't? - but why would he target her clan?

"Your father believed that he was working with somebody else. Somebody in the village who would gain from your clan being weakened." At her feet, Suoh had started to tremble, and she slipped off the bed to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Suoh, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"I'll rip them apart," he growled, and she nodded her agreement.

"We will, I promise," she said. She gave him time to calm down, and eventually the low growling he'd been doing subsided, but she could still see the rage and promise of death in his eyes.

Finally, when she knew Suoh wouldn't completely lose it, she turned back to Noboru. "He - he thought somebody that lives in Konoha k-killed all those Inuzuka on purpose?"

Noboru inclined his head. "He wouldn't tell me who, but I got the impression it was somebody powerful. Your father dedicated himself to finding proof. He knew that he risked drawing some dangerous attention to himself, so he sent you to live in the village, surrounded by clan. He figured that this person wouldn't want to draw attention to himself or his motives by attacking the Inuzuka twice, so you'd be safe."

Nariko leaned back, stunned, and then it clicked in her brain. "You think this person - this  _traitor_ ," she spat out the word, "found out he was looking?"

Noboru sighed. "I know he did," he said gently. "Your father stayed with me for awhile after his visit to Konoha ended. He got a message about a week ago. He was convinced that it was the last piece he needed to prove without a doubt that this person was a traitor, and that he was responsible for the death of your cousin. I tried to convince him to let me go with him, but he wouldn't hear of it. Our deal had always been that I wouldn't pull him into my business and he wouldn't pull me into his. I'm so sorry I didn't break that rule, Nariko. I had a feeling but -"

"Stop it," she said firmly. "I know how dad can - could be. Once he had something decided, he was stubborn."

Noboru's lip twitched up in a small smile. "Yes. He really was. Nariko, your father returned to me three days ago. He'd been poisoned. Jin and Hao were already -" he cut himself off and closed his eyes.

Nariko looked away and took a deep breath. She'd barely had time to mourn for her father, let alone Jin and Hao. She couldn't think about that at the moment, so she turned back to him, and he continued.

"He barely had the energy to give me a message. He said that he had found the proof, but knew he was being pursued, so he hid it in a place that nobody else could access. Nobody but you, Nariko."

Nariko stared at him for a moment. She knew without having to think about it exactly what he was referring to. Unbidden, a memory came to her of being awoken in the early morning light by her father leaning over her, dripping water on her face, excitement on his own.

 _"Riko-chan, come on, you have to see what I found!"_ She inhaled on a sob and put her hands over her face. Of course he'd hide it there - in their place, their magical place that nobody but them even knew about.

"You know what I speak of, then," Noboru said grimly, and she nodded, hands still over her face. She had to keep it together - she had to  _think._

"He also said to tell you that you can trust the lump to help you," Noboru said in an almost-sheepish tone, as though he were worried he'd gotten it wrong, and Nariko lowered her hands and frowned.  _What..._

After a moment of thought, it hit her, and she had to cover a giggle with her hand. "He means -"

Noboru put a finger to her lips and shook his head. "Don't tell me. I may still be captured, and if so, I should know as little as possible. Nariko, this is very serious. We need to assume this person knows your father had that information, and he's looking for it. And we already know he'll kill for it."

Nariko swallowed. Noboru was in danger? Did that mean Tsume and Hana were too? She clenched her fists. "Noboru-ojisan, I have to get that information. My family - you - won't be safe until I do," she said urgently.

Noboru's lips turned up in a smile. "Ah, my little warrior, don't you worry. I have a plan. We need to make everybody looks right while you go left."

"Misdirection," she muttered, and he inclined his head.

"I have ordered one of my men to come to me the day after the funeral." Nariko couldn't hide her wince at the word, and he sent her an apologetic look but continued talking. "He'll have 'information' on where Tsuneo stayed before he was attacked and came to me. If your aunt and cousin are anything like your father, they'll demand to be included in the mission. And it will also draw the attention of our mystery person while you get out of the village, get the information, and return. How long will it take you?"

Nariko frowned. "Um. Probably two and a half days if I don't sleep."

"Then don't sleep," he said.

000

Nariko was sitting on a bench on the back porch, staring down at the cup of tea in her hands that had long since gone cold when she heard the shuffle of footsteps. She was alone - Suoh had needed to run, and Nariko had understood. What they had learned from Noboru...

She glanced over and saw Shikamaru standing in front of the porch, breathing hard as though he'd been running, and staring up at her. For a moment they were both quiet, and then he spoke.

"Nariko, I - I just heard." He raised and lowered his hands, as if unsure what to do with them. "What can I do?" he finally said.

After a moment, she set her tea down on the porch railing and moved over so that there was space for two. Without having to be asked, he walked up the steps and sat next to her. He put his arm around her and she leaned up against him, laying her head on his shoulder. They sat like that until the sky darkened and Tsume came out and kneeled in front of them.

"Hey girly, Akemi made dinner. I know you're probably not hungry, but why don't you come in and try to eat, alright?" Nariko nodded and let Tsume help her to her feet. Shikamaru stood as well, looking awkward, and she was suddenly afraid he'd leave. She reached out and grabbed his hand and he relaxed.

"You're welcome to stay for dinner, Shikamaru-kun," Tsume said, and tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace.

Nariko suddenly remembered what she'd said to Hiashi that morning, and winced. He was there to offer her aunt comfort, comfort she probably badly needed from somebody she'd trust to see her not at her best, and Nariko had yelled at him.

"Tsume," she said, and her voice came out a little scratchy. She cleared it. "Will you - will you tell Hiashi-sama that I'm sorry? For what I said? And, and of course he's always welcome. I was just -"

"Oh, Riko-chan, he knows," she said, and pulled her into a hug. "He never woulda stuck around this long if a pissed off Inuzuka woman bothered him. And I think - I think we can give ya a pass, alright?" Nariko nodded into her aunt's shoulder, and a few tears escaped before she let her go. Tsume reached forward and brushed them off her cheek with her thumb.

"Come on. I know you haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon," she said gently, and Shikamaru jerked a little next to her. Tsume must have noticed, because she looked over at him. "I suppose I can trust you to get some food in her?" she said a little firmly, and he gave a short nod.

"Sure, Tsume-sama," he said, then tugged Nariko towards the house. To her relief Hinata was there, and sat next to her as though Nariko hadn't just yelled at her father that morning.

Akemi had raced up to her when he saw her enter and wrapped his arms around her waist in a fierce hug. She patted his head and wisely didn't comment when he wiped an angry hand across his face to hide his tears. He sent a glare at Shikamaru out of habit before fussing over Nariko's place setting.

Nariko smiled a bit at Noboru, who introduced himself as her godfather - had she known that? - to Shikamaru. She knew she should feel bad about neglecting to introduce them, but she just couldn't find the energy to feel much beyond a kind of tired heartbreak and a low simmering boil of rage at the person who had caused it.

000

The funeral was almost unbearable. She had only attended one other in her life - that of her mother. Nariko traced the wristband she'd put on after talking to Noboru. The other was on her father in the closed coffin he was laying in, Jin and Hao's bandanas next to him, since their bodies weren't recovered.

She stood between Tsume and Hana, Noboru a steady presence at her back, trying to smile at well wishers. She was aware of Hinata, Shino, and Naruto hovering around in the background, pretty much what they'd been doing for the past two days.

Kurenai appeared in front of her with a small, sad smile on her face, and took both of her hands. "Nariko-chan, I'm so sorry," she said, and Nariko gave a little jerky nod and let her sensei pull her in for a hug. Bunko had already been by and was now across the room talking to somebody Nariko didn't recognize. To her surprise, her third sensei was next, bald head shining in the light and the tell-tale flickering scents of his ANBU making itself known.

"Biro-sensei?" She said just as a voice behind her said "Ah, I'd heard rumors but - wait, did she say sensei?"

"Noboru of the Bloody Hand?" Biro blurted, and suddenly there was a lot of attention on their little group.

"Why," Noboru's cold voice said from behind her, "is my goddaughter calling you sensei?"

"Your what?" Biro said, looking more ruffled than she'd ever seen him. He spun to look at her. "You didn't tell me the most notorious non-shinobi assa -"

"I think that's enough," Noboru said lightly, and Biro stopped, looking nervous for a moment before his expression cleared to his usual devil-may-care mask.

A throat cleared, and Nariko's eyes moved upward to take in Shikaku, who was easily visible from where he was standing behind Biro. He was studying Noboru, who was still standing at her back, with narrowed eyes. Yoshino and Shikamaru stood at his sides, and she saw they were all dressed in black.

Biro jolted and brought his eyes back to her. "I'm sorry, kid. You don't deserve -" he cut himself off, and instead reached out and ruffled her hair. He'd never touched any of them outside of what was required for training, and she blinked in shock as he slunk away and out the door, his wavering shadows close behind.

Then Yoshino was pulling her into a hug and Shikamaru was sidling up next to her, and she shelved Biro's strange behavior as something to think about later. Shikaku reached out to squeeze her shoulder.

"Your father was a good man, and a good friend. You need anything, just ask," he said a little gruffly. Nariko gave him a wobbly smile, and didn't miss the narrow-eyed look he sent Noboru before he turned to Tsume.

Little did Shikaku know that she'd be taking him up on his offer sooner rather than later.

000

As promised, Noboru received a message the next day with 'information' on Tsuneo's whereabouts the day before he died. There was a flurry of activity, and she wasn't surprised when her aunt tracked her down in her room.

"Nariko," she said, looking uncharacteristically hesitant. "I know this is happening at the worst possible time, but me and your cousin have a mission we gotta take care of."

Nariko looked down at her hands. "I understand, Tsume-obasan. I'll be okay, don't worry."

Tsume came and sat next to her on the bed, reaching out to run a hand through her curls. Suoh huffed and put his head on his paws.

"Don't worry, Tsume-sama, I'll take care of her," he grumbled, and the woman sent him a wobbly smile.

"I know ya will. I also asked your team if they'd stay with you," she said, and Nariko had to hide her twitch. She had hoped to keep them out of it, but...

"Thanks for thinking of me, obasan," she whispered, and her aunt leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I shouldn't be longer than four days, okay? If you need anything, you go to Shibi or Shikaku. Hiashi, too," she said firmly. "Akemi's mom is in town, she'll swing by if..."

"Hinata and Shino will take good care of me," Nariko said firmly, then leaned forward and hugged her aunt around the middle. "It'll be fine."

It was the first time she'd ever outright lied to Tsume.

000

Getting Shino and Hinata to agree to let her go on her own had been...difficult. Nariko wasn't sure Shino would forgive her anytime soon, but everything she'd said had been true. Especially since Nariko could smell the wavering there-not-there scent of ANBU creeping around when she concentrated. It made her nervous - why would ANBU be on their property?  _Traitor,_ her mind whispered at her.

Nariko and Suoh had decided the only way she was getting out of Konoha undetected was if it wasn't  _her_ leaving. The whole reason Inuzuka clan techniques worked, and the reason behind the canine characteristics Inuzuka clan members started to pick up and the humanistic characteristics their partners in turn acquired over the years, was because their chakra actually merged and combined, giving them almost identical signatures. Only a very, very strong sensor would be able to tell the difference.

So, she would do the beast-human clone in reverse to look like him, and he would fill in for her in his clone form as well. Hopefully, when she left the house looking and feeling and smelling like Suoh, the ANBU would do what most people did, even those of their village. They'd disregard the canine half of the partnership and instead keep watch on her.

"If one of you goes with me, and just disappears for three days, it'll look suspicious," she said in a low voice. She had activated the silencing seal on the inside of the leather wristband she still wore that Shikamaru had given her, and they were huddled in her bed. Shino was looking supremely unimpressed with her arguments, so she continued. "Plus..." she bit her lip and looked down. "You guys won't be able to keep up with me while I'm going full tilt. It's - you're fast, and have better stamina than most people our age -"

"You're saying we would hold you back, because we cannot run as fast for as long as you," Shino said flatly, and she winced.

"It's not - I would never think you hold me back." She reached out and grabbed his wrist, and was relieved when he didn't pull away. "This mission is just something I need to do solo, because of my unique skills. But you - you're my still my team, and I need your help.  _Please,_ Shino. Whoever this person is, they m-murdered my father. They partnered with Orochimaru to create a disease that killed a quarter of my clan. And they, I think they've set ANBU on me," she whispered, and they both jerked.

"Which means they have influence. I just - please. I need to do this.  _Please."_

Noboru had left in the dead of night without saying goodbye, but Nariko had expected it after Biro outed him at the funeral. Not everybody was as accommodating to the criminal underground as Tsuneo had been, after all. So it was just the four of them in the house.

"I do not believe Suoh is okay with this. Why? Because you are partners," Shino said, but he sounded like he was done arguing, though he pulled out of her grip. Her chest tightened when he looked away.

"It's true I'm not happy about it," Suoh said around a huffing sigh. "But this is actually the least dangerous way to let her go get the information. If they think she's here, they won't go after her. Plus, Nariko is a kunoichi of Konoha first. This is her duty. There is also the fact that allowing the traitor to roam free is probably more dangerous to her."

Hinata spoke for the first time from Nariko's other side. Her face was tense and worried, but her voice was calm. "I t-think that as your teammates, it is our job to support you when you ask us for something this important. I'll cover for you. But please, Nariko-chan," she bit her lip when it trembled. "Please come back."

Nariko trotted into the forest in Suoh's form, putting her nose to the ground and trying to look as dopey and canine-like as she could. Ignoring the twinge of guilt - of course she knew Suoh wasn't just a dopey dog - she went deeper into the forest. After a few minutes she raised her nose to air and took a breath. When no tell-tale there-not-there wavering scents came to her, she turned and took off in the direction of the Nara compound. She snuck in fairly easily over the wall. Of course, she knew the Nara had probably seen her, but she also knew that the whole clan was aware of her budding relationship with Shikamaru. They would assume she had sent Suoh with a message for a clandestine meeting or something.

She blushed a little as she thought about the assumptions the rest of the clan would make about why she would send him a message at that time of night, but ignored it. Now was not the time to worry about her reputation, and Biro always said the best way to move through a situation unseen was to make people think you were there for a totally innocuous reason. The Nara weren't big gossips, anyway - they tended to hoard their information and reveal it only when it was to their benefit.

It was late evening, and she knew from talking to an annoyed Shikamaru when he complained about his father abandoning him to his mother's 'moods' that Shikaku tended to disappear around this time to take secret naps.

After a few minutes of slinking about the edge of their property, back in her own form, a low drawling voice from behind her said, "Here to steal from me again?"

She squeaked and jumped in surprise -  _how had he snuck up on her? -_ before spinning around. Shikaku was leaning against a tree, hands in his pockets, looking relaxed, but his eyes were sharp.

"A-again?" she squeaked, and he huffed out a laugh.

"Maa, let's not pretend. If you're here to see Shikamaru, you could just knock on the front door, you know," he said in a gentle voice that, for some reason, made tears come to her eyes.

"N-no, Shikaku-sama. I'm actually - I'm here to see you."

"Oh?" He straightened. "Well, here I am. What can I do for you, Nariko-chan?"

Swallowing, she carefully scented the air and listened. Nothing but trees and deer. "We - we're alone, right?" she whispered. Sure, she had good senses - her nose was almost as strong as Tsume's - but Shikaku was a high level jounin. He would probably sense something before she would.

He frowned, and she felt his attention on her focus in, so powerful it was almost a physical thing against her skin. It was supremely uncomfortable, and for a moment she wondered if this is what Shikamaru would be like when he was older.

"We're alone, Nariko-chan. What is this about?"

She raised her eyes to his own. "My father sent me a message through Nobaru-ojisan," she said bluntly. They didn't have time to dance around the subject. "There's a traitor in Konoha, and only I can get to the information to prove it. I need you to help me sneak out of Konoha so I can bring my father's killer to justice."

At his blank look, she bowed lowly. "Please. He told me to trust only you. Please help me do this."

000

Nariko followed Shikaku's tense back through the Nara lands, pausing when he held up a hand, and walking soundlessly through the forest when he motioned her forward. She held her chakra in close to her, heartbeat loud in her ears. When she'd told Shikaku everything Noboru had passed on to her, it was like a weight was lifted from her chest - especially when he believed her without question.

"You have ten minutes to cross over the walls," he said lowly in her ear. "Don't use chakra - it will tip off the guards. I'll be here waiting for you in three days' time to lead you back through my clan lands. Do not attempt to cross without me. If I'm not here, wait for me. If I don't come...find another way in."

She nodded once, stiffly, and turned to leave. After a moment's hesitation she turned back to him and gave him a fierce hug around his waist. Before he could do more than stiffen in surprise, she was gone, moving quickly and silently through the woods and to the wall. Without a moment's hesitation she began to scale it. She silently thanked Biro-sensei for his unconventional teaching methods. The handholds were practically nonexistent, the wall well maintained and smooth to the touch.

She got to the top after five minutes, and after a look around the empty, thin walkway, darted across and lowered herself over the edge, then began her descent. She ignored her shaking arms - she'd need to add more arm exercises to her regime - and her feet hit the ground a few minutes later.  _Two minutes,_ she thought to herself, and sprinted across the empty space between the walls and forest as fast as she could without chakra.

Her neck prickled as she waited for somebody to call out from the wall as they saw her darting figure, but it never came. She let out a small breath of relief as she entered the trees. She picked up her pace but didn't take to the canopy until she was about an hour outside of Konoha.

It would take her a little over a day to get to her destination. For the first time in almost a week, Nariko was left totally alone with her thoughts. Instead of sinking back into sadness, she found herself remembering the day she and Tsuneo had discovered their secret little spot.

He had woken her up early in the morning, Hao a grumbling, warm presence at her back. She could feel the ninken's heat through her bedroll, and she remembered being annoyed that he was dripping water all over. It had been a year after Naya's death, and her father had begun to regain his cheerful nature. For months his smiles had been strained and his eyes had been so, so sad.

That was why, when she opened her eyes just enough to peek at him, she'd found herself complying with his request to wake up without any protest. It had been so long since she'd seen him look honestly excited about anything. He led her to the naturally warm pool they had camped next to. A spring fed into it, and Tsuneo had explained to her the night before while they were using the warm water to bathe that it was naturally heated by the earth. It had been too dark to properly see it at night, but in the morning light the water was a bright, clear, sapphire blue that seemed to continue on with no bottom in sight.

"Do you trust me, Riko-chan," her father whispered, and she hadn't even needed to think about it before nodding. He pulled her into the water with him.

"Okay, hold on to my neck, and no matter what, don't let go, okay?" She had nodded again, feeling pleasantly warm and still a little sleepy. Once she was holding onto him tightly, he instructed her to take a deep breath, and then dove. She kept her eyes open in interest as she took in the water around them, the light colored stone seeming to brighten the blue of the silent underwater world they were suddenly in. She clung to Tsuneo as he swam down, down, down, and would have gasped when they entered a small, dark hole in the side of the rock if she weren't underwater. Nervousness overtook her as the water grew darker, and she tightened her hold but didn't panic. She knew, with everything in her, that her father would never let anything bad happen to her.

Just as her lungs were starting to burn and protest, she felt them begin to move upward. A moment later and she saw a green glow. It got closer and closer, and soon they were surfacing, both of them taking in big gasps of air. After a few minutes her disorientation faded, and she pushed her curls - unruly and thick even then - out of her eyes, and gaped at what she saw.

Tsuneo had taken her to something out of a fairy tale from the books Noboru read to her when they stayed with him. They were in a wide, open cave, the limestone walls covered in something that glowed green in the darkness. Their breaths echoed in the chamber, and Tsuneo began to swim towards a small beach that led out of the water and up into a small area clear of dampness.

"Daddy," she had whispered, and he turned to smile at her.

"Beautiful, huh? When we leave, I'm going to put a seal on the outside of the tunnel, so that nobody but you and me will ever be able to find it. It'll be our special place, Riko-chan. Only you and I will be able to find it."

Nariko blinked tears out of her eyes as she continued to race through the forest. This, she knew, was where Tsuneo had hidden the information that would help her find and bring down his killer. People tended to underestimate the Inuzuka - they assumed they were the next step up from animals, that they were no threat because they weren't as interested in politics as the rest of the clans. She would show everybody just how wrong they were. She would rip the idiot who had killed her cousin, her clan members, her _father_ into tiny pieces _._ Only then would they understand the idiocy of messing with the Inuzuka.

When she arrived the next day, she was surprised to find that despite the constant running, her body still felt energized. Nariko knew it was adrenaline and anger and determination keeping her going, but at that point she didn't care, just as long as she didn't falter.

She found the underwater cave easily, eyes taking in the seal her father had painted on that day, and swam into the tunnel. After a few minutes, she surfaced in the cave, and couldn't stop her small gasp of wonder.

It was just as beautiful as she remembered. She swam for the beach, so familiar from the few times she'd visited with her father, and crawled up onto it. For a moment she rested, allowing oxygen to replenish in her overworked limbs. Then, she stood, and looked around. Sitting innocuously on the ground was a small bag. With trembling fingers she reached out and picked it up. She fumbled with the ties for a moment before getting it open, and upended it on the cool stone.

An envelope with her name written in familiar handwriting drew her attention, and she ignored the small storage scroll, about the size of her pointer finger, that had fallen with it to pick it up. Taking a deep breath, she opened it.

_Riko-chan,_

_If you're reading this, baby, then I'm dead, and I'm so, so sorry for that. I hope you know that I would never willingly leave your side. I hope you can understand why I did what I did when you look at the information enclosed in this scroll._

_You and your mother were the loves of my life, and I am so thankful for the time I had with you, even if it was cut short by circumstance. Please never doubt that I'm proud of you, wherever I am. I feel like it's only my due to give you some last-minute fatherly advice._

_First of all, you have good friends - keep them close, don't try to do everything alone. You'll never know how happy I am to have seen you coming into your own when I was in Konoha._

_Second of all, make sure you do what makes you happy. You're like your mother, always trying to make sure the people around you are content. Please, as a favor to your old man, do what makes you happy sometimes, too. We're more than just tools to serve our village, baby._

_Third of all, I understand that little Nara twerp plans on courting you. I've already told your aunt he's not allowed to do so formally until he's sixteen. Unfortunately I recognized the look he gave you as one his lump of a father used to sport whenever he caught sight of his wife - he married up, that's for sure. More importantly, I recognized the look on your face when you were talking to him - the same one I used to see in the mirror when I thought about your mother. So, if he's what you want, that's fine with your old man. When you're older. Much, much older._

Nariko had to stop and cover something that was half laugh, half sob. It was so like her father to give her dating advice in his last letter. Tsuneo had always been a huge, unrepentant dork, and that truth seemed to hold on even past the grave. Taking a deep breath, she continued reading.

_I'm sorry for the task I've given you to finish, Nariko. But you're strong, and I know you'll get it done. Please, don't hold what you read against the whole of Konoha. You know as well as I do that there are good people there. Only the good people standing up to the bad will keep the evil from creeping across Konoha and destroying everything that's right about it. I have faith that you'll be part of the solution, my beautiful Riko._

_I know you'll be sad, but just remember, I lived a good life - I had you, and I had your mother. There are no regrets behind me. Make sure your life is full of happiness along with the sorrow. I love you._

_Dad_

Nariko buried her face in her arms and cried for long minutes. Finally, she took deep breaths until she was calm again, and carefully folded the letter before putting it to the side. Then, she opened the scroll and fed her chakra into it, blinking when a stack of papers appeared before her. Frowning, reached out and tentatively grabbed the top folder, and began to read.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nariko faces her enemy sooner than expected, and Hinata realizes something very important.

By the time she reached the walls of Konoha, she was flagging. She had slept for a few restless hours before leaving her little sanctuary, but her building rage had given her the energy to make it back to Konoha in time for her rendezvous with Shikaku. She would hand over the information to him, and he would take care of it.

If there was anybody who could untangle the web of political intrigue and deception hidden in her little scroll it was the head of the Nara clan. She waited impatiently for the guard rotations Shikaku had given her the details on, then slipped over the wall, arms and legs protesting the abuse after her three days in the forest. As soon as her feet hit the ground she was running again.

After a few minutes she slowed, and began to creep through the forest towards their meeting spot. When she reached it she looked around and scented the air. Nothing - not that it meant anything, she knew Shikaku could probably still hide from her, if he knew she was looking. She assumed that never would have been able to scent the ANBU if they had know how strong her nose was, either.

With a weary sigh she leaned against a tree and closed her eyes. Almost over, this whole thing was almost over. A rustle had her opening her eyes and looking around warily. She stiffened as the familiar there-not-there scent of ANBU reached her nostrils, and she crouched on shaky legs and drew her bokken.

"Please put your weapons on the ground," an unemotional voice intoned, and Nariko twitched when a lone figure in black with a white mask appeared across the clearing.

"I-identify yourself," she croaked, and the figure tilted its head to the side.

"I understand you have come across classified, sensitive information. Please hand it over." Nariko swallowed and took a step back, then gasped as something grabbed her wrist and bent it backwards, causing her to drop one of her bokken.

With a snarl she spun around and slashed at the person holding her wrist - another ANBU with a blank mask. They leaned back, easily avoiding it, and she lashed out at them with a foot, a growl rumbling in her throat as adrenaline began to pump through her system.

Once again, the figure easily evaded, and Nariko launched forward with her whole body, acting on instinct as the low level rage she'd been feeling for days erupted. She was going to  _rip out his throat -_ the next thing she knew she was face-first in the dirt, both arms wrenched painfully behind her.

"Search her," the other figure said, and she tensed as a third set of hands - where had the third person come from? - ran methodically and clinically over her body, and rifled through her pockets. She struggled and screamed when they pulled out the letter from her father.

"You murderous, traitorous  _bastards!"_ She hissed, eyes following ANBU number three as they brought the letter over to their comrade. She watched as the first ANBU - the leader, apparently - opened it and read through the contents.

"She has the information," he finally said, and she made a high pitched noise as he carefully folded the letter and tucked it away in a pocket somewhere. The person holding her tugged up on her arm, and she bit back a cry of pain.

"Where is the information?" a feminine voice said into her ear, and Nariko let out a harsh, grating laugh.

"Like I'd tell you,  _traitor,"_ she snapped out, and couldn't stop a small cry of pain when the ANBU woman grabbed her pinky finger on her right hand and snapped it.

"We are not traitors. We work for the good of Konoha," the leader said, and Nariko let out a sobbing laugh.

"Tell it to somebody who  _doesn't_ have two brain cells to rub together," she mumbled, and gasped as another finger was broken. The snap of it made her stomach churn and she forced herself not to throw up the ration bar she'd eaten a few hours ago. The last thing she needed was to have her face shoved into her own vomit.

Shikaku was coming - he was strong, and smart, he could stop them - "Bring out the other two," the man said, but she thought he sounded a little exasperated now. Nariko's eyes widened as four more of the black-clad figures appeared, and her breath caught when she saw what they were carrying between them.

Nara Shikaku was glaring at the leader, face bloody and lips pursed as they pushed him forward. His hands were behind his back and he was bleeding from multiple lacerations. Her eyes met his, and she twitched at the rage in them, though she found it more calming than terrifying, since she knew it was focused on her captors.

It took her a moment to make out the other figure they were dragging forward. He was obviously too injured and weak to walk on his own, long hair drifting forward to cover his face. When they threw him forward to land next to Shikaku, who was now kneeling on the dirt after they kicked the back of his legs out from under him, his face was revealed.

"Noboru...oji...san?" She whispered, and he raised his eyes to meet her own. They were so full of apology and pain that it made her breath catch in her throat. Before she could say anything, the woman on her back had broken another finger. She was so focused on Noboru and Shikaku that she wasn't expecting it and cried out in surprised pain.

Shikaku immediately tried to launch himself forward, and Noboru hissed out insults and struggled up onto his knees. Two seperate black-clad figures stepped forward and rained blows down on them until they both stopped trying to struggle forward.

"No, stop - don't - stop it!" she screeched, and the leader held up a hand, his subordinates immediately ceasing their beatings.

"So you see now," he said. "There is no hope of a rescue. We found this one trying to escape three nights ago. He resisted torture, but was unable to fight the Yamanaka mind walking techniques. After that it didn't take much investigation to discover you had gone to the Nara," he said in a bored tone, and Shikaku twitched in surprise. Nariko saw the look of betrayal, the only expression he'd shown other than burning anger, even while he was being beaten, and a lump rose in her throat. She knew that the Yamanaka and Nara clans were extremely close. He must think they had betrayed him and the village. Unable to stand the thought, she spoke.

"Don't listen to him, Shikaku-sama," she said in a trembling voice. "Their leader has been kidnapping children and brainwashing them, Yamanaka-sama didn't betr-" she let out a hiccupping sob of pain when the leader appeared next to her and drove a heavy boot into her side.

"Tell us. Where the information is." She shook her head frantically and clamped her mouth shut, clenching her eyes closed so she didn't have to see the look on Noboru's face. A  _shlick_ of a blade being drawn, and then the cool kiss of metal on her cheek.

"You're such a pretty girl," he said in an uninterested voice. "It would be a shame if I had to mar such beauty."

Nariko's eyes flew open at that, and she somehow gathered enough spittle in her mouth to send it at his feet as contemptuously as possible. "I'm a shinobi of Konoha," she said in a steady voice. "That you could even think that something like my  _looks_ would make me tell you anything is idiocy at its finest." She met Noboru's eyes, and felt courage build in her at his proud expression. "Only a weak traitor like  _you_ would think something like that would work."

She gasped as the blade slid across her skin, and she barely felt it cut it was so sharp. A moment later she felt the trickle of blood and the sting of her skin parting, and gritted her teeth. "Like I said," she finally got out. "Weakling. Traitor. Disgusting sack of -"

"Enough," the leader said in a bored voice even as the woman on her back pushed up on her arms, making her cut off her list at the pain. "Yamanaka, she's yours. Try not to break her mind, he'll want to question her."

"Him?" She spat, pulling her anger around her like a shield to block her panic. "You mean Shimura Danzo, right? The leader of your little faction?" He stiffened, and from the corner of her eye she saw Shikaku's mouth part a bit with some emotion, though it didn't look like surprise. One of the figures hovering in the background stepped forward, slowly reaching up to remove his mask.

His blonde hair was short, and Nariko swallowed as she caught sight of his pupil-less eyes. He walked towards her with even steps, expression devoid of emotion even in the face of the Nara clan head's steady gaze.

"Make it quick -" the leader started to say, and Nariko's eyes widened when Shikaku burst into motion. His hands came out in front of him - apparently he was just faking being restrained - and between one blink and the next he was on the Yamanaka. The man's neck broke with a sick  _crack_ , his face going slack in death between Shikaku's large hands before he crumpled to the ground. He didn't stop there, instead spinning out of the way of the attacks that the ANBU sent his way. The woman on Nariko's back tightened her hold, and for a moment her eyes whited out in pain as her broken fingers were squeezed in a steely grip.

When her vision came back to her, another ANBU lay dead in what looked like pieces, and Shikaku was lying on the ground, glaring up at a figure in white robes holding what looked like a blade coming out of the end of a cane at his throat. He was old and covered in bandages on the side facing Nariko, but even so she was pretty sure she knew who he was.

The ANBU leader stood from where he was kneeling on the ground, drawing his blade and putting it to Shikaku's neck so that Shimura Danzo, the man who had ordered the murder of her father, could step back and sheath his blade. On the other side of the clearing Noboru was being subdued in a similar position to Nariko's own.

Nariko could feel the killing intent emanating from Shikaku, and she found it somewhat comforting as Danzo slowly approached to loom over her.

"Danzo-sama, I apologize that you were forced to intervene," the leader said even as one of the remaining subordinates stepped forward with what looked like white shackles and put them on Shikaku. "He somehow removed his chakra dampening cuffs."

Danzo hummed. "You underestimated the Bloody Hand - it would have taken somebody with his skills but a moment to pick those locks if left unattended. Let me see her face," he barked, and Nariko's captor shifted and pulled her up to her knees. Nariko kept her eyes on the ground, not willing to give him anything he wanted.

The woman now kneeling behind her, still twisting her arms painfully with the other hand, grabbed her hair to tug her head back, and Nariko grinned fiercely when she gasped and let go just as quickly.

"Spikes in your hair, hmm? Unsurprising, I suppose, your clan has always been quite vicious," Danzo said, and the sound of his blade being unsheathed again met her ears.

She lifted her eyes just enough to meet Shikaku's, and his steady gaze kept her from whimpering as Danzo stepped forward, grabbed the end of her braid in one hand where there were no spikes, and slashed his blade, easily slicing through hair and wire alike.

She kept her face stoic as he dropped six inches of braided hair at her knees, clearly visible to her defiant downturned gaze. Panic moved through her when she felt the small scroll that she had slid up under her thick braid and spikes begin to slip as the plaited section at the top loosened a bit with the loss of the tie. She tilted her head back so that the end pressed into the base of her skull, using the scathing glare she sent his way to cover the action, praying that the wire and thickness would keep the rest of her plaited hair mostly in place.

"Wow, you really showed my hair who's boss," she taunted, and wasn't surprised when she felt the edge of a kunai at her neck from her captor. Danzo motioned at the one other ANBU left standing.

"Search her more thoroughly this time," he said, and stepped backwards, his face still annoyingly passive.

Shikaku surged up against the person holding him as the black figure who had shackled him took out a kunai and sliced through the front of her coat and tank top, pulling them off of her to rest at her elbows above his comrade's tight grip and running impersonal hands down the remaining mesh shirt and bandages covering her chest.

"Move again, and my subordinate will slit her throat," Danzo said to Shikaku, and he stilled, but his face was dark, and he kept his gaze on hers despite how much the situation was obviously bothering him.

She gritted her teeth when the hands moved over her breasts, across her stomach, and then down between her legs, but she couldn't smell lust or pleasure coming from the figure, which was at least a bit of a relief.

"I'm going to rip your entrails from your body and choke you with them for touching her," Noboru rasped across the clearing, and Nariko growled when the sound of flesh hitting flesh reached her ears, but she kept her eyes on Shikaku's. She'd never actually seen somebody look truly murderous before, despite living in a shinobi village, and for some reason his rage was helping her keep it together.

Her shoulders were beginning to throb from the pressure the woman was putting on her arms, and she could feel that her fingers were at an unnatural angle. Blood was running freely from the cut in her cheek down her neck, but all of that was secondary to her anger.

"Traitor," she whispered, and for the second time that night (and her whole life) she spat at somebody. It was bloody - she must have cut her mouth at one point - and landed just between his feet.

"What I do is for the good of Konoha," Danzo replied, and she bared her teeth.

"Killing children because members of their clan are in your way? Kidnapping and brainwashing citizens of the village? Assassinating loyal shinobi and kunoichi of Konoha? How is that good for  _anybody?"_

"They were threatening the safety of the Village," he said, and his hand tightened on the handle of his once more sheathed blade.

Nariko stared at him incredulously for a moment before she let out a laugh, and moved her shoulders a bit when she felt the scroll slip from its place in her hair in an attempt to push it back into place. "Liar. The people of Konoha  _are_ the village. Everything else is just - just buildings and paperwork. Killing loyal citizens is  _never the right way_ to protect the village. At least admit what this is about. Power," she spat. "That's all this is. You - you  _murderer!"_

His hand moved so fast she didn't see it, and his fist connected with her uncut cheek with so much force that she would have gone flying if not for the woman holding her. Nariko blinked stars out of her eyes, somewhat aware of Noboru yelling and Shikaku growling out something in a low voice. She ran her tongue over her teeth and found a few of them were loose, and had cut into the inside of her now-throbbing cheek.

"Enough. You are a child who sees through a child's eyes. Tell me where you hid the information," he said, and Nariko chuckled weakly from where she was practically hanging from the grip of the fake ANBU.

"No," she whispered. Danzo must have made a motion - she could only see his feet at that point, because the sounds of Shikaku struggling again preceded the kunai at her throat moving to bury into her shoulder.

This time, she did scream, unable to help it. Fingers beneath her chin lifted her gaze to Danzo's face, and she frantically wondered where the scroll was - she didn't feel it in her hair anymore. A small shift of her body and she felt it in the folds of her coat, still trapped at the small of her back, and swallowed. The ANBU must not have seen it fall from behind the remaining locks of her hair. She tried to think past her pain. She had to get out of there, or they would all die - she had no doubt that Danzo planned to kill them once he got what he wanted.

"Child. You are a brave and loyal kunoichi of Konoha. It would grieve me to kill you," he said, and she choked on a bloody laugh when she heard the skip in his heartbeat.

"Traitor, murderer,  _and_ a liar. You just hit all the points," she finally said, and sobbed when the woman twisted the kunai. Nariko struggled against the iron hold she had on her twisted arms, but only succeeded in wrenching her shoulders more.

"Alright, then. Let's see if this gets you talking," Danzo turned his gaze to Noboru, who sneered at him, somehow managing to look regal despite his messy hair, ripped clothes, and bloody face. Before Nariko could say anything, Danzo moved to kneel by Shikaku.

"Every time you don't answer me, we'll hurt them," Danzo said, and met her gaze with his one eye. "Do you really want to watch Shikamaru's father be tortured when you could stop it?" he said gently. Shikaku met her gaze and gave a small shake of the head, but he didn't need to, not really. Nariko was part of a clan known for their loyalty. She would not betray Konoha for herself or for Shikaku. It would shame them both. Before she could help herself she cut her gaze over to Noboru, who  _wasn't_ a shinobi of Konoha. He just gave her the same gentle smile that warmed his cold eyes that she remembered from her childhood.  _It's fine,_ they said.  _Don't give in._

"Where is the information?" Danzo said calmly.

Nariko did something she always avoided, due to her mother's influence.  _Tsuneo, stop swearing in front of Riko! I want her to be somewhat of a lady, even if she is an Inuzuka._ She blinked back the memory, and silently sent an apology to her mother. "Go fuck yourself," she rasped.

Nariko saw the kunai stab into Noboru's shoulder, who she was still watching, and just like that day with Akira in the classroom after he'd put Naruto in danger, her vision went red and she lost all sense of time. Her chakra, which she had thought almost exhausted from her three day run, flared up in her, and she somehow wrenched herself from the woman holding her with a scream.

Her claws elongated and from one moment to the next she was across the clearing, with no memory of how she'd gotten there, and her claws were buried in the throat of the person who had stabbed Noboru. Somebody grabbed her from behind, and she spun and lashed out, claws catching on skin as the woman who had held her down and hurt her dodged.

Nariko leapt after her, howling in rage when the woman again moved out of her way like water. Nariko's feet hit the tree that her enemy had been standing in front of, and she used it to launch herself once more at her. She choked as something reached out grabbed her by the collar of her mesh shirt, tugging her back and slamming her into the ground. The pain of it knocked her out of her red, rage induced haze, and she gasped for air.

Staring up at the face of Danzo, desperation clawing at her throat because  _he was going to kill her family he was going to kill Shikamaru's dad_ she threw her head back and let out a mournful howl. It was cut off by his foot on her throat.

"Stop that racket, nobody can hear you this far into Nara clan lands," he said dispassionately, then grabbed her arm and tugged her to her feet, uncaring when she couldn't keep them under her and he ended up dragging her across the clearing and throwing her unceremoniously on the ground.

"This time, keep ahold of her," he growled, and the woman, who Nariko noticed with no small amount of satisfaction was bleeding from four deep claw marks in her arm, inclined her head.

"I knew your clan were nothing but animals," Danzo said in a conversational voice, "but every time I see one of you go... _feral,"_ his lip curled in disgust at the word, "I'm reminded once again just how disgusting you really are. Still, you're useful in your own way to the village. That is why I only released what your clan so quaintly called the Inuzuka Influenza to a few of your population. Just enough to distract those who were starting to look too closely at me," he said dispassionately.

"You're a monster," Nariko whispered from where her cheek was pressed into ground, hand curled next to her. She knew she was suffering from chakra depletion and blood loss, and was probably going into shock, as well, because everything had a kind of fuzzy filtered quality to it.

Noboru was now being held by a different ANBU - the one that put the cuffs back on Shikaku - and Nariko realized with a bit of dazed pride that she and Shikaku had killed half of Danzo's team. Not bad. She was currently too out of it to feel much of anything about her first kill, but she thought she probably wouldn't be able to build up much angst over it later. Not after he hurt Noboru.

She let her gaze roam around the clearing, not stopping on anything in particular, including her discarded jacket, which she assumed still had the scroll tangled in it. Danzo shrugged and walked over to Shikaku, who was now on his knees, looking like he'd also taken a bit of damage while she was fighting. "I am what I need to be for Konoha."

For the first time since this whole situation began Shikaku spoke, and Nariko was distantly amused that his voice was its usual drawl despite being at the mercy of what was clearly a madman.

"I think we can drop the pretense here, Danzo-sama," he said. "We all know that you won't be letting any of us go, so you may as well admit what you're really after."

Danzo's lips quirked up. "Oh? And what has Hiruzen's genius jounin commander deduced about my true intentions, then?"

"This is about you wanting the hat. It's always been about that," Shikaku said, then hissed with Danzo casually backhanded him.

"Stop it," Nariko whispered, and Danzo turned his head towards her a bit.

"Why should I?" he said, and she swallowed and then forced herself to sit up, blinking away the spots in her vision and fighting the urge to throw up.

"B-because. If you promise." she stopped to put her head between her legs until a wave of dizziness passed before continuing in a small voice, "If you promise to let them go, I'll take you to where I hid the information."

Shikaku's eyes darted over to her and narrowed, but to her relief he didn't say anything. Danzo hummed. "I'm afraid it's too late for that, and we all know it," he said gently. "If you tell me, then I can give you all a clean death."

Nariko bit her lip and looked down, bringing one hand up to press against her wound, then wincing when she jostled her broken fingers. She'd forgotten about those. She made a show of wavering back and forth before speaking, not having to fake the wobble in her voice.

"N-Noboru-ojisan doesn't even live here. He's not a threat to you. And Sh-Shikaku-sama is the head of his clan. If you kill him, people won't just accept any story easily. What if they promise not to tell?"

Danzo gave her a gentle smile. "I have covered up worse things," he said. She swallowed as he walked over to her and knelt down. He reached out and gently picked up her hand, and she forced herself not to pull out of his grasp, the roughness of his bandages feeling odd against her skin.

"Come now, tell me where the information is," he said in a soothing voice. Nariko bit her lip and made a show of looking to the side in thought. Danzo broke another one of her fingers, and she let out a choking sob, annoyed when a tear fell from the corner of her eye.

"You can either tell me, or I can have my agents give Noboru-san and Shikaku-san matching injuries," he said, voice and touch once again gentle, but she wasn't listening to him anymore. She forced herself not to react to the distant sounds of thudding feet and growls. She needed to buy time.

"I -" she started, and looked down. "There's a spot in the w-wall," she whispered, and he leaned forward, avarice flashing in his eyes.

"Yes?" he said. "Where is it, girl?" he snapped, and she jumped, having once again become distracted listening to something else.

"There's a large dead tree on the eastern side," she continued, and ignored Shikaku's voice telling her to stop talking. "Walk five hundred paces to the south from this tree. Then, you should see, at foot level...some writing...it says..."

"Yes?" he said impatiently, and she looked up and met his one eye, then grinned.

"It says, 'go fuck yourself,'" she declared sweetly. For the second time that night, he hit her, but that was all he had time for before three large ninken burst into the clearing, and all hell broke loose.

000

Hinata jolted at the polite knock on the door, and exchanged a nervous glance with Shino. She activated her Byakugan, and winced when she saw who it was - her father. Again. He'd been by to check on Nariko twice that day, and each time she'd been 'sleeping.' Hinata knew that there was no way he would keep taking that as an excuse, and she was never going to be good at deceiving her father. At least Naruto was out on a mission and she didn't have to try and lie to him too.

Taking a deep breath, she went to the door and opened it. "F-father," she stuttered. "Come in. W-would you like some tea?"

He inclined his head and followed her into the kitchen, where he politely greeted Shino, and Hinata bit her lip as they began conversing, concentrating on making tea. It was strange, she knew, that she was more comfortable hosting somebody in the Inuzuka's house than her own, but that was just the reality of living in the Hyuuga compound. Emotional comfort was not something they offered.

After Hinata gently set the tea set down and served her father, he pierced them with a look. "I would like to speak with Nariko-chan," he said, and Hinata hesitated.

"I'm afraid Nariko is not up to visitors, Hyuuga-sama," Shino said in his usual bland tone, but Hinata knew him well enough that she could sense his discomfort. "She is sleeping."

Hiashi set his cup down more firmly than he usually would, and gave them both a narrow-eyed look. "Be that as it may, I promised Tsume that I would check on Nariko while she was gone, yet haven't been able to lay my eyes on the girl once. I know she hasn't spoken to anybody other than you two in almost three days. Go wake her now and I -"

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Hinata and Hiashi both activated their Byakugan, and Hinata made a little  _eep_ and sent Shino a desperate look. "I - it's Kurenai-sensei and Biro-sensei," she whispered, then ran to open the door.

Five minutes later Hinata was standing in front of Nariko's bedroom door, holding her hands up. "S-she really doesn't want to see anybody," she squeaked, and next to her Shino nervously pushed his sunglasses up his nose.

"It is true. She has requested -"

"Hinata, Shino, you will move out of the way and let us speak to her," Kurenai said in a firm voice.

"B-but -"

The door opened behind them, and they all spun around and gaped at the sight of Biro standing there. He shrugged.

"What? I broke in through her window while you were arguing." He turned a smile on Hinata and Shino that would have been pleasant if it weren't paired with an icy gaze.

"You wanna tell me why Suoh's huddled under the blankets pretending to be her and she's not in her room?"

"What?!" Two adult voices said at once, and then Hinata and Shino were being pushed into the room and to the side. Hiashi strode to the bed and tugged the blankets down, and with a sigh a slightly-feral looking Nariko poofed out of existence, and Suoh sat on the bed.

"What," Kurenai's voice snapped out, "is happening here."

Hinata trembled when Hiashi turned his gaze to her. "Explain," he said between gritted teeth.

Shino took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Nariko is -"

Suoh cut them off by jumping to his feet and cocking his head to the side. "I think I just heard..." he said, and then jerked as though slapped before lifting his head in a howl that made the walls of the house tremble.

Hiashi had gone still and was staring at him in horrified understanding, though everybody else looked taken aback and confused, especially when his howl was answered by what sounded like twenty other ninken around the property.

"Su-Suoh, what is it?" Hinata whispered as he turned a tense body towards the door. He was trembling all over, and had begun to leak blue chakra as he growled deep in his throat.

"Nariko's in trouble. She called to me, and I called to the others. Come," he said, and dashed out of the room. Not having a choice, they followed, leaving a protesting Biro behind. Hinata's eyes widened as they burst out of the house and into the streets and she saw multiple ninken and their partners move to join them.

A gorgeous woman with long, dark blonde hair and blue eyes that she recognized as Akemi's mother, Meisa, and a woman that looked closely related to her fell into step next to Suoh, huge ninken beside them. "What is it? Why did you call?" she said sharply, and Suoh growled.

"Nariko received a message from her father telling her where to find information on a traitor within Konoha. She went to get it, and now she's in trouble. She called to me," he said, and the ten or so Inuzuka exchanged grim looks. Hinata's heart leapt to her throat. Nariko was in trouble? Shino was right, they should have gone with her. If anything happened to Nariko...Hinata forced those thoughts back.

"What do you mean she called?" Kurenai said, and to Hinata's surprise it was Hiashi who answered.

"A ninken and their partner can hear each other's howls from miles away if they feed chakra into it. It is because their chakra has the same frequency." Akemi's mother glanced at him, and she grunted.

"That's right, but not many people know that outside the clan, so don't go blabbing it around. Suoh, where was she?"

"In the Nara woods, near the east wall," he said, and they all pushed more speed into their run.

"Hinata, Shino, you should not -" Hiashi began, and for the first time in her life Hinata interrupted her father.

"We're going," she said softly but firmly, and fell back and into step with Shino, who just nodded. Hiashi didn't reply, though he sent his daughter an inscrutable look.

They arrived at the Nara's gates less than two minutes later, and the guards let out protests as the group thundered past them. They made it all the way to a house on the edge of the forest before they were stopped by half a dozen Nara.

"Miasa, Kurenai, Hiashi," a gruff man with green eyeliner said, "You know better than to trespass on Nara lands. What is this about?"

Hinata glanced over and saw Shikamaru standing on the porch - the house must be his - taking them in with a raised eyebrow.

"Please!" she blurted. "It - it's Nariko, she's in your woods, she's in trouble -" Shikamaru straightened and his eyes landed on Suoh, who was stalking back and forth in front of the Nara blocking their path, obviously wanting to just knock them over and run for it, but he was smart enough to know he wouldn't get far if he did so.

"Let them through," he snapped, and was down the steps and standing next to Suoh faster than Hinata had ever seen him move.

The man's eyes darted over to him. "Shikamaru-kun, you aren't the clan head, you can't -"

"You know what Nariko is to me," Shikamaru said harshly. "They have my permission, and my father will back me whenever he gets home. Now let me through, or I'll make you," he said. For a moment the two Nara faced off, and then the man sighed and slumped.

"Jeez, alright, alright. We'll escort you," he said, but the words were barely out before Suoh was rushing into the trees, Shikamaru at his side. The rest of their party, now including seven Nara, scrambled to catch up. Two of the ninken pulled ahead to flank Suoh, and Shikamaru, who was obviously struggling with the pace, fell back next to Hinata.

"I thought she wasn't leaving her room," he gritted out, and Hinata just shook her head. He'd been upset when they turned him away each time he came to see Nariko, but they didn't have time to deal with that right now. They ran for another few minutes, and Hinata, having activated her Byakugan at the edge of the trees, gasped as she caught sight of what was ahead.

"F-father," she stuttered, and he grunted before detailing the situation to the others.

"Nariko is up ahead about a quarter of a mile. She is being restrained by a shinobi. There are two other prisoners - one is Nara Shikaku." Shikamaru inhaled sharply at that, and the Nara around them suddenly looked less bored and more deadly, and Hinata swallowed. "There are three dead bodies, and three aggressors."

And then he stopped talking, because Suoh and the two ninken who were leading the pack burst into the clearing just as Hinata saw one of the figures hit Nariko. She gritted her teeth and pushed more speed into her legs.

"They're hurting her," she whispered, and Shino's bugs began to flow from his sleeves in response, and the Ninken running with their group let out identical growls. Then, they too joined the fray, and Hinata couldn't see anything except Nariko, who was pulled up against a chest with a kunai held to her throat by...her eyes widened. She recognized that man - her father made sure she was aware of all of Konoha's biggest political figures.

"Danzo-sama," Miesa said, and his eyes moved to take in the group now surrounding him. "What is going on here?"

Hinata's eyes darted around as she took in the full scene, eyes wide. Suoh was crouched over a body, probably the person who had been standing behind Nariko before the ninken appeared, growling deep in his throat as he stared at Danzo with a feral rage. His body was outlined with glowing blue chakra, and he seemed to have grown in size and ferocity. His lips were curled back to reveal long, deadly fangs covered in blood, and his fur was bristling. But his eyes were on the knife that was pressed hard enough against Nariko's jugular to draw blood, and Hinata covered her mouth with a hand when she took in her friend.

Her coat and undershirt were gone, leaving her in her mesh undershirt and bandages to cover her above her waist. Her face was bruised and battered, and a long, deep cut on her cheek was bleeding freely. The whole left side of her body was covered in more blood from an ugly gash in the meat of her shoulder, and she was listing to the side, eyes unfocused.

"Danzo," a voice said, and Hinata did a double take when she caught sight of the Nara clan head, crouched over the body of what looked like a dead ANBU, with a very bloody Noboru fumbling at something on his wrists. He was looking just as beat up as Nariko, though he still had all of his clothes on.

Next to her, Shikamaru's fists clenched, but he remained still - none of them dared to move for fear of what would happen to Nariko. "It's over. There's no need for dramatics," he said, and the old man chuckled, seemingly unconcerned with the circling, growling ninken and their partners or the Nara ghosting around him to hem him in.

"Dramatics? Hmm, I suppose it must seem that way to you. To think, one idiot Inuzuka and his whelp have brought me this much trouble," he said conversationally.

Hinata met Nariko's eyes with her own, and her breath hitched when she quirked a smile at her. She knew, suddenly, that her friend was about to do something stupid. Just as she thought it Nariko lit up in blue chakra and whispered "Human Beast Clone Technique."

As her canines and claws elongated and her eyes slitted, multiple things happened at once. A chorus of Nara saying "Shadow Bind Complete," filled the clearing. Suoh dove at the arm holding the kunai to Nariko's throat just as the girl grabbed at the wrist and twisted away, slashing her claws across Danzo's face and leaving four deep gashes behind. Danzo froze for a count of two seconds - just long enough for Suoh to latch on and Nariko to wrench herself from his arms, and then he was breaking out of whatever hold the Nara had on him.

The Inuzuka hadn't been idle, however, and four whirling bodies that Hinata recognized as Fang over Fang from working with Nariko hit where he was standing just as her teammate stumbled clear. Hinata ran towards Nariko, but Hiashi was already there, grabbing her and leaping to Shikaku's side. Hinata was aware of Shino and Shikamaru next to her as she rushed across the clearing, ignoring the sounds coming from the Inuzuka that were still working on tearing Danzo apart.

Hinata dropped to her knees next to Nariko as Hiashi gently laid her down, swallowing as she caught sight of her broken fingers - she hadn't noticed those due to her other injuries at first.

"He tortured her," Shikamaru said as his eyes took in her injuries then darted to his father. "Her shirt - why is it -" his voice shook a little, but Shikaku just shook his head.

"Later. Nariko-chan. Nariko, can you hear me? I need you tell me where the information is," he said urgently. Her eyes fluttered, and then Noboru was pushing Shikaku out of the way and putting a bloody hand to her cheek.

"Nariko, darling, it's Noboru. Can you hear me?" Hinata was pulling bandages out of her pouch, ignoring the hysterics of the men around her, and gave Shino a grateful look when he pushed them out of the way so she could get to the wound on her shoulder. She blinked back tears as she pressed the bandage to it in an attempt to stop the bleeding and Nariko gasped, eyes flying open at the sudden increase of pain.

Noboru and Kurenai soothed her as Shikaku and Shikamaru held her down with gentle hands. After a moment Nariko's eyes focused, and her brow furrowed with confusion until they landed on Shikaku, then she gasped and reached out to grab his flak jacket with one hand.

"Shikaku-sama," she slurred. "The scroll - it's in my coat," she said, and he frowned.

"Nariko," he said gently, "they searched you, they would have found it if it was in your coat," but she was shaking her head in frustration.

"No, it was - was in my hair, until he cut it." Shikamaru sucked in a breath as he noticed what they'd all missed. Nariko's hair was falling out of its customary braid, spikes slowly coming out along with it, and it was much shorter than it had been three days ago. Where before it went down to her waist, it now would probably fall halfway down her shoulder blades. "Then it - it fell out and got tangled in my coat after that man - after he cut it off of me." Hinata gritted her teeth as an emotion she generally didn't feel came over her. Anger.

She unzipped her jacket and pulled it off, then lay it over Nariko's trembling form before bringing a green lit hand to her shoulder to help slow the bleeding. That was about all she was trained to handle with a serious wound. A higher ranked medic nin would probably be able to heal her cheek with less scarring than Hinata could, so other than pressing a bandage to it she left it alone.

Shikaku had disappeared somewhere for a moment, and was back at their side, holding a small scroll. The Inuzuka and their ninken had apparently decided they were done tearing apart Danzo, because they were now prowling around them, looking pissed off and worried and trying to catch a peak of Nariko to make sure she was okay.

Meisa had shouldered her way in next to Noboru, who was running his hand through her hair. "You did good, your father would be so proud," he said, and Hinata marveled at how regal he seemed despite his rough appearance.

"He - Danzo killed them," she whispered to Meisa, obviously not all there. Tears welled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks, causing streaks to form in the blood and dirt there. "He worked with Orochimaru to develop the Inuzuka flu, and he killed daddy when he figured it out, and he was going to kill Shikaku and - and Shikamaru will hate me when he realizes I almost got his dad killed, too -"

The Inuzuka had gone silent in shock at that proclamation. Hinata remembered how horrible it had been when the flu came, the way her father had been stiff and worried for weeks. The whole of Konoha had been shocked, and for a full month people were tense, waiting for the howls of sorrow that meant another death. That somebody had done that to the clan on  _purpose,_ and that it had been one of their own council members...

Shikamaru leaned forward. "Nariko, look at me," he said firmly, and her glazed eyes moved to his. "I could never hate you. I'm not exactly excited that you and dad ran off to topple conspiracies and had your friends lie to me, but I'm just - I'm just glad you're alive," he whispered.

Nariko stared at him for a moment, and then something caught her attention beyond Shikamaru and her eyes widened. "Why - why are so many Inuzuka here?" she whispered, and Meisa huffed.

"You called, didn't you? We're your clan, of course we came to save you," she said, and Nariko stared at them.

"I - yes," she said. Then, more firmly, "yes, you are."

"Shikaku," a sharp voice said, and he looked over at the Nara with green eyeliner from where he was staring at Nariko with an unreadable expression.

"What?" he barked.

"It's Danzo - his body - it's gone." Nariko stiffened and she tried to sit up, panicked, and Hinata put a hand on her shoulder.

"Nariko, please, lay still," she pleaded even as everyone around them immediately went into an uproar.

Finally, Hinata took a deep breath and stood, then looked at Shikamaru. "We need to take her to the hospital," she said, and he nodded. She then looked at Noboru, who was trying to calm Nariko down.

"No, he can't get away!" she was saying, struggling. "He  _can't,_ he killed him, he killed him!"

Hinata looked at her struggling friend and bit her lip, before making a decision. Her hand lit up, and she moved it to hover above Nariko's head. "Sorry, Nariko," she whispered, and then applied the chakra needed to put her to sleep.

She immediately slumped into unconsciousness, and Hinata squeaked as Shikamaru and Noboru both gave her sharp looks.

"What did you do," Noboru growled, and she swallowed as she realized he was dangerous - really dangerous.

"I p-put her to sleep. I'm a medic," she fibbed. She was only in training, after all, but she'd learned how to do that a month ago. Kind of. Well, she'd watched a medic do it to a hysterical patient with her Byakugan activated. "She was going to hurt herself."

After a moment his face relaxed, and he nodded. Hinata looked around until she spotted Suoh, who was standing a few feet away, staring at Nariko with an unreadable expression.  _He's probably in shock, seeing her like this,_ she thought, and felt compassion rise for the ninken. This must be so hard for him, finding out Nikko's sickness and subsequent death wasn't a random act of nature, coming to Nariko's aide only to find his last partner's murderer had tortured her...

"Suoh," she said in a firm but soft voice, and he looked at her. "We need to get Noboru and Nariko to the hospital. Can you carry Noboru on your back?"

She heard Shino cut into the argument Hiashi and Shikaku seemed to be having about what disappearing bodies could mean as Suoh slowly nodded and Noboru tried to deny the ninken's assistance.

"I believe I can help you find him," Shino said, and Hinata realized his voice, always so calm, was low and trembling with rage. "I tagged him with a female kikaichu before he was...killed," he said, obviously trying to find a better way to word it than 'torn apart by dogs.'

Suoh had walked up to Noboru and given him a  _look,_ and now Noboru was sitting astride him looking miffed and Shikamaru had moved to pick up Nariko. Shikaku and Hiashi were asking Shino about the range of his insects and throwing around orders at the Inuzuka and Nara milling about looking ready for a second round of killing Danzo.

"...I shall collect those I trust from my clan. As you say, we will keep everyone else out of it until we have him," Hiashi said, and Hinata was suddenly very, very proud of her father. He really did care for the village despite his obsession with the clan image. After all, they were all essentially going after a leader of Konoha without asking permission first - something that could backfire spectacularly on a political level.

"Dad," Shikamaru said, and Shikaku tilted his head towards them. "We're taking Nariko to the hospital."

Shikaku grunted, then, "Ensui-san, Kurenai-san!" he barked, and the shinobi with green eyeliner and her sensei were suddenly there. "Go with them. Make sure nobody makes an attempt on Nariko's life. Don't leave her side."

Shikamaru gently lifted her into his arms, glaring Ensui off when he offered to take her. Just before he moved to leave, he turned towards Shikaku. "Dad," he said again, and this time Shikaku met his eyes. "Make sure he dies this time."

Hinata nodded to Shino, who was staying as it was his kikaichu that could find Danzo, and then they were gone, rushing as fast as they could towards Konoha and the hospital. As they ran, she promised herself that she would never, ever let Nariko convince her to stay behind again. From here on out, they did things as a team, or not at all.

000

Shikamaru sat next to Hinata in the waiting room, pointedly not speaking to her. After Nariko had been hustled off by medics with her bodyguards in tow, they'd been sent to a small mostly-empty waiting room. Shikamaru had spent ten minutes scrubbing blood from his hands -  _Nariko's blood -_ before corning Hinata and forcing her to tell him the full story.

He wasn't sure who to be more frustrated with - Nariko for running off on her own, her team for letting her, or his father for being complicit in the whole thing. He saved all of his actual rage for Danzo, who had been the person responsible for Nariko's state.

It was hours later when they were allowed into her room, and they still didn't have any word from their parents or Shino. Kurenai and Ensui were leaning against the far wall, conversing quietly. Shikamaru pointedly took the seat next to Nariko's bed and gently picked up her heavily bandaged hand, and Hinata shuffled around a bit before dragging a chair next to him and sitting down. For a long time, it was quiet, and then the door opened, causing all four of them to stiffen, then relax when they saw Shikaku standing in the threshold, bloodier than he'd been in the forest, and obviously exhausted.

Hinata stood, body stiff. "Sh-Shikaku-sama," she squeaked. "Is everybody -"

"Everybody is fine for the most part. A few injuries but I'm assured everybody should live," he said grimly. "Your father is three rooms down - why don't you see if you can get him to behave for the medics."

Hinata stood, then looked at Nariko, obviously wavering. "If you wouldn't mind," he said gently, "I'd like a moment with my son. Kurenai-san, Shino is in the room next to Hiashi-san. He's fine, just a little banged up. He did well. Ensui-san, I can take over," he said, and with one last glance at Nariko, Hinata filed out behind the jounin.

Shikaku sat in the chair Hinata had vacated and stared at Nariko, who was breathing softly, eyes pausing on the bandage on her cheek. "She's strong," Shikaku finally said into the pointed silence. "She handled Danzo's interrogation techniques better than most grown shinobi would have."

Shikamaru balled his hands into fists. "She shouldn't have had to  _handle it,"_ he finally said through gritted teeth. "I can't believe you let her go - by herself."

Shikaku was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. "It was her right, and it was the best plan we had. Danzo would have found her out much faster if somebody else had gone with her. He didn't really find her at all - it was mine and Noboru's mistakes that got her caught."

"Her right," Shikamaru said flatly.

"Yes. Her father was killed, and she could help stop the person who had done it. Danzo was also responsible for the death of her cousin and other clan members six years ago. It was her  _right._ I know you care about her, but she's a kunoichi of Konoha, Shikamaru. You can't hold her back because of your own fear of loss."

Shikamaru stood so fast his chair toppled, the stress of the evening catching up to him. "How was it her  _right_ to be tortured and beaten up by the man who killed her father?" he said, voice overly loud in the quiet of the room. "You know how I feel about her and you  _let her go anyway._ How can I -"

"Shikamaru," a quiet, slurred voice said, and he immediately stopped his tirade to spin towards the bed, where Nariko was blinking up at him.

"Nariko," he said, and moved to her side, hands fluttering over her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so loud -"

"Don't," she said in a low voice, and he blinked, then leaned closer so he could hear her better. "Don't be such a jerk," she said, and he heard Shikaku huff out a laugh behind him. "I had to. But - m' sorry I didn't tell you I was going. Should have," she said. "Was just, not thinking very well." He twitched when her eyes filled with tears and one fell from the corner to run down her temple. Just like that, his anger faded.

"Alright," he said. "It's fine. Just, go back to sleep, okay?"

"You'll be here - ?" she said, eyes going wide, and he nodded jerkily.

"Yeah, 'course. Just, you need to rest. I promise I'm done yelling." Her eyes were already glazing back over, and he realized she probably wouldn't even remember this later, she was so pumped full of pain medication. They moved slowly over to Shikaku, and her lip quirked up.

"Thanks for taking care of me, Sh'kaku-sama," she mumbled, he stiffened next to Shikamaru.

"I didn't do anything," he finally said, and his voice was probably more pained than Shikamaru had ever heard it.

"Pfft, 'course you did," she mumbled, then closed her eyes and fell back asleep.

After a moment of staring at her, Shikamaru sighed and picked up his chair, then sat in it. Shikaku took his own seat before he spoke. "Danzo had done some questionable things to himself that allowed him to regenerate. Taking him down wasn't easy, but he's in custody now, and I believe most of his followers are dead."

Shikamaru frowned. "Dad, I don't understand. Why did Danzo kill the Inuzuka? Why did he even have followers?"

"He's always been power hungry, and it was hard for him to swallow when he kept getting passed up for Hokage. I think he fancied himself some sort of secret hidden leader of the village. He was taking children and raising them to be soldiers, subverting the will of the Sandaime whereever he could and proclaiming it was all for the good of Konoha."

Shikamaru thought about that for a moment, then finally sighed. "There's no way that went unnoticed," he finally said in a flat voice.

"...No. But there wasn't much the Hokage could do about it, since Danzo had so much political pull and was good at covering his tracks. Remember, he was one of Tobirama-sama's students, too."

"You won't be able to cover this up. There were too many witnesses," Shikamaru said slowly, already understanding the severity of the situation.

"No. That's why we kept him alive once we took care of the regeneration. If he stands trial, hopefully the anger of the village will be directed towards Danzo and not the leadership of Konoha as a whole," Shikaku said in a tired voice.

"You should have told me," Shikamaru said abruptly, and turned to meet his father's steady gaze.

"It would have put her in more danger," Shikaku finally said, then, "it would have put  _you_ in more danger." Shikamaru pursued his lips, unimpressed, and his dad chuckled. "I'm not perfect, son. I can't always predict how things will turn out, but I decided to put my faith into Tsuneo and his daughter. I think I made the right decision, in the end. Just don't be too hard on her when she wakes up, ne?" With that, Shikaku leaned back, apparently done talking and unconcerned with his various injuries, and fell into a light doze.

Shikamaru thought over his father's words for a while, reaching forward to work some of the tangles out of Nariko's curls, noting somebody had removed the remnants of her spikes. In the end, he couldn't exactly blame Nariko for doing what she did - if it had been Shikaku instead of Tsuneo, Shikamaru doubted he would have done things any differently. He probably would have tried to keep her out of it to protect her, too.

Suddenly, he remembered his father's words to him in their kitchen after he'd returned his pen to him.  _You seem to think you've one-upped your old man, and fallen in love with a woman less troublesome than your mother. Somehow, I just don't think that's the case._ Why did his father always have to be right?

"Troublesome," he grumbled without rancor, then stood up to find a medic to look over Shikaku's wounds.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danzo causes more trouble, Tsume comes home and is NOT HAPPY, and Shikaku gets an unexpected surprise.

Nariko glanced nervously out of the corner of her eye at Shino, who apparently wasn't angry enough to not visit her in the hospital, but hadn't forgiven her to the point where he would stop with the silent treatment.

Suoh was curled up in the corner of the room in a bed that Hinata had found for him and dragged to the hospital. Hinata was reading a book in the chair next to Shino, and Shikamaru was sitting at the end of her bed, leaning against the wall and napping.

Her current Nara guard was leaning back in a chair on the far side of the room, apparently unconcerned with the tension in the air, and looked half asleep, though Nariko knew he was probably just as alert as the Inuzuka stationed outside her door.

They were all, she knew, upset with her, but too aware of her injuries and frayed nerves to say anything about it. Finally, when Hinata turned another page in her book and Shikamaru twitched in his sleep, she couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sorry, okay!" she blurted, and Shikamaru's eyes flew open and moved to settle on her face. Hinata looked up from her book, Suoh raised his head, and Shino's kikaichu buzzed in agitation. The Nara guard didn't move from his slouched position.

"I know I shouldn't have asked you to let me go alone. But - but I didn't know what else to do," she said miserably. "It was my father's last request and I just..." she trailed off lamely and slumped over. "I didn't mean to hurt any of you," she said in a small voice. She raised her still-bandaged hands a few inches and then dropped them back into her lap with a sigh.

"I - I understand, Nariko-chan," Hinata finally said in a subdued voice. "I think - I think I would have done the same thing. I'm not mad...I just feel like as your teammate, I failed you," she finished in a sad tone. Nariko stared at her, eyes widening as she realized what Hinata had been feeling wasn't anger, but guilt.

"N-no! That's not true," she said a little desperately.

"It is," Suoh rumbled from his bed. "I too failed you."

"And me," Shino said.

Nariko gaped, then narrowed her eyes. "No. That's not true," she said more firmly this time. "You're the best team I could ever ask for. If you hadn't covered for me, I might not have even made it to where dad hid the information." She hated that her team was feeling this way because of a situation she pulled them into.

"The only person who is to blame for Nariko-san's condition is currently in a holding cell beneath the administration building," a voice drawled from across the room, and Nariko looked over at the Nara, who was still slumped over. "If it weren't for the fact that she had such a good team, she and that assassin and Shikaku-sama would be dead. You got enough to worry about without adding guilt to it."

Shikamaru yawned, then put a hand on her calf and patted it. "Kaito-ojisan's right," he grumbled. "You're a good team." Nariko glanced up at him from under her lashes, unable to quite believe that he was as okay with her stunt as he seemed.

They all went back to their previous activities and Nariko leaned back to rest, since her morning had been busy and full of visitors. She had been touched when she realized how honestly concerned her clan members had been when they'd stopped by. She hadn't forgotten the way they'd come to her rescue, either, though she had been surprised that she had managed to call Suoh to her at all.

It had been a bit of an accident, really, born of desperation - she hadn't managed to perfect that jutsu in training yet. It was actually pretty tricky to do without tearing up your own vocal chords, and considering it was a chunin-level skill, Tsume had insisted they go slow.

All this time she'd been keeping herself separate from her clan, holding a grudge from when she was  _eight,_ and yet they'd still come. Nariko had realized that morning that the only person keeping her from being an integral part of the Inuzuka was  _her._ Akemi had been right - she'd just needed to put some trust into them.

The door opened, pulling her from her thoughts, and she perked up when she saw Shikaku enter the room. "Shikaku-sama," she greeted, and he quirked a lip up at her.

"Nariko-chan. You look better," he said, slouching over to stand between Hinata's and Shino's chairs.

"I feel better," she said, and gave a tremulous smile. His sharp eyes took her in, and she forced herself not to twitch. She knew he saw that despite her relief that the Danzo situation was over, she still felt like a small tap to her armor would turn her into a sobbing mess.

"Mah, Kaito-san, I'll take over for a bit in here. Why don't you go stand guard with Inuzuka-san, huh?" He then turned to her team. "I need a few minutes alone with Nariko-chan."

He was met with immediate protests, but one stern look from him  _\- Shikaku was scary -_ had her team and Shikamaru making their way out of the room.

When the door shut behind them, Shikaku sighed and sat down in Hinata's vacated chair, suddenly looking exhausted. He took a sheet of paper out of his pocket and set it on her rolling table, and she saw it was a seal. A moment later the murmuring voices from the hall cut off, and Suoh stood and crossed the room to leap onto the bed at her feet, ignoring the way it creaked.

"Nariko," Shikaku said, and looked up to meet her eyes. "First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry." She frowned in consternation, but before she could ask, he continued talking. "Your father told you to trust me, but I got myself caught and just made things worse for you." He gave her a rueful look. "It's been awhile since anybody got the jump on me like that."

Nariko leaned forward, ignoring the way it pulled at the wound on her shoulder. "You can't blame yourself, Shikaku-sama! I'm sure they ambushed you, and there were a lot of them."

He sighed. "Nariko," he said gently, "I know they were strong, but usually twenty shinobi of their caliber wouldn't be too much for me - and that's without pulling out my more powerful jutsu."

She frowned. "Then what -"

"I was on the edge of the property, getting ready to meet you," he said. "They surrounded me. I could still see the house from where I was located in the trees. Shikamaru was out with the herd," he said in a low voice, and Nariko twitched when she realized where his story was going. "One of their team was hiding on the roof of the shed above him. I had the choice of going quietly, or they would..."

Nariko's eyes widened, and she felt a little ill. How close had Shikamaru been to death because of her actions?

"I went quietly. They drugged me and put chakra dampeners on my wrists." He shrugged in a self-depreciating way. "I was still fighting off the effects when Danzo showed up and subdued me for the second time. Anyway, I guess my point is that your father left you in my care, and I - I chose Shikamaru's safety over your own," he said bluntly, and met her eyes squarely.

Nariko stared at him, and realized that he expected her to lash out. She huffed out a breath and leaned back against her pillows, rolling her eyes. "Please, Shikaku-sama, you cannot think I'd be mad about that. You made the right choice," she said firmly, and quirked a lip up when he actually looked surprised. "It all worked out just fine in the end."

His face darkened, and when he spoke his voice cracked like a whip. "It did not," he snapped. "You being captured and tortured does not constitute as everything working out 'just fine.'"

Nariko looked down at her hands. "It does if the alternative was Shikamaru's death." She shook her head in annoyance as a few tears fell from her eyes. "Losing another person that I - I consider precious to me would be much worse than a few broken fingers, Shikaku-sama." she looked up and met his gaze steadily despite her tears. "So stop beating yourself up, okay?" she said gently.

He stared at her for a moment before huffing out a laugh. "Nariko-chan, you remind me of your father when you say things like that," he said, then reached forward and put his hand on her shoulder when her tears fell a little faster. They sat in silence for a few minutes until she'd gotten ahold of herself.

He leaned back in his chair, then reached into his flak jacket and pulled out a familiar envelope. "Here. I convinced the Hokage that you needed this more than the evidence locker," he grumbled, and handed her the letter from her father that the ANBU had taken from her in the forest. She reached out with shaking hands and took it from him, trying not to cry again.

"Shikaku-sama, thank you," she whispered, and he nodded. "Did you read it?" she finally asked after she'd stared at her father's handwriting on the envelope for awhile.

"Aa. Tsuneo always was surprisingly wise when he wanted to be," Shikaku said with a quirk of his lips.

"He was also a complete dork," Nariko said with a fond but pained smile, and was rewarded with a rich laugh.

"That too," Shikaku agreed easily. He then hefted a sigh and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. "Nariko, you know the information in those files...isn't something you can go around talking about."

Nariko eyed him before carefully placing her letter into the drawer of the bedside table. "Are you going to try and cover it up?" she asked in a light voice, but her heart was thumping a staccato in her chest.

Shikaku snorted. "Nah, the cat's already out of the bag on this one. But we are going to be careful with the specific crimes we make known to the public and those we don't."

Nariko's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

He sighed, and continued staring up at the ceiling.

"There is some information that, if made public, would put a lot of shinobi that are innocent in danger," he said bluntly, then lifted his head and looked at her. "We need to control the information flow, Nariko-chan, so that others aren't able to build on what your father did and discover things we want to keep under wraps."

Nariko studied him, but didn't sense a lie. Though she wasn't sure she'd be able to, honestly. "Innocent shinobi...you mean like, undercover agents?" she asked tentatively, and he nodded.

"Among other things. People who were just following orders, that sort of thing." Nariko leaned back and thought about that.

"I think," she said slowly after a few minutes in which Shikaku waited patiently for her to mull over what he'd said, "if the reason for keeping something secret really is to protect citizens of Konoha, and not cover up things that powerful people did because they don't want to face the consequences of their actions, then it makes sense. So, as long as that's the reason, I'll keep quiet. But Shikaku-sama," she met his gaze again. "If I believe, for even a second, that somebody is trying to get away with being a part of any of Danzo's schemes, I won't stand by. It's my job as a shinobi to keep the village safe - not cater to the whims of those in power."

Shikaku blinked at her a few times, apparently taken off guard. Then, to her surprise, he smiled and reached forward to ruffle her hair. "I'm interested to see what kind of person you grow into, Nariko. Konoha is lucky to have you."

Before she could answer the door burst open, and Tsume, lips pulled back into a snarl and eyes bright with anger, entered the room, a growling Kuromaru next to her. Her eyes fell on Nariko, taking in her bandages and pale face, then shifted over to Shikaku.

 _"You,"_ she snarled, and crossed the room in a blur. Nariko gasped as Tsume lifted Shikaku out of the chair by his throat and carried him across the room, slamming him into the wall with enough force that it cracked.

"No!" Nariko said, and leapt out of bed. Kuromaru was suddenly in front of her, lit up with chakra and baring his teeth.

"Stay out of this, child," he growled. Nariko heard Shikamaru struggling with somebody - Megu - as he tried to get into the room, and Hinata's yell of  _"Byakugan!"_

When she glanced over, however, she saw the girl wavering, obviously unsure who she should even be attacking. Hinata had practically been raised alongside the Inuzuka, after all, and obviously didn't want to fight them.

"You stupid Nara," Tsume snarled in Shikaku's face. He had raised a hand to signal Kaito to stop when the man, looking like he'd already taken a few hits, appeared in the doorway, sending shadows at Megu and Tsume. The inky black lines stopped their progress across the floor, though they didn't recede. "You send my niece, my  _genin niece_ out on her own to take down Shimura Danzo?"

"Oba-san," Nariko pleaded from where she was standing, Suoh at her side, "It wasn't like that. Please, let Shikaku-sama go! He - he protected me!"

"Stay out of this," Tsume snapped without looking at her. "I'll deal with you later."

Nariko cringed, but didn't back down. "But -'

Tsume growled, then pulled Shikaku towards her and slammed him back against the wall. His hands were wrapped around her wrist, but he still wasn't fighting, instead meeting Tsume's gaze steadily.

Nariko realized suddenly that he thought he deserved it. She remembered the way he'd tried to protect her in the forest, how he didn't look away when she needed an anchor to keep her from losing her courage, and took a deep breath. She knew why her aunt was upset, but it wasn't right - Shikaku had stopped Danzo and helped and protected Nariko when she needed it, never once treating her like she wasn't a kunoichi of Konoha.

"Suoh," she said, and then dodged left and rushed forward. Kuromaru lunged for her, but Suoh was already there. The two ninken met each other in a clash of snarling and snapping teeth. Nariko hoped that Kuromaru didn't hurt Suoh - he was strong, but Kuromaru was the strongest of all of the Inuzuka ninken.

Nariko needed to end this fast. She leapt and twisted in the air, ignoring her protesting body. Tsume's eyes widened as she saw her approach, but she didn't make a move to stop Nariko as her hand came down and chopped at the wrist of the hand holding Shikaku to the wall to break her grip. The only reason it connected, she knew, was because Tsume didn't know the extent of her injuries and didn't want to risk making them worse.

Pain radiated through Nariko's shoulder and her broken fingers when she made contact, and she immediately dropped to her knees, cradling her hand against her chest and squeezing her eyes shut. They flew open when she heard a tremendous crash, and she gaped at the hole in the wall where the window used to be. Apparently Kuromaru and Suoh had decided to take their fight outside.

"Oh for -" Tsume growled, and Nariko looked over to where Tsume was now standing in front of Shikaku, who was leaning against the wall, no longer held against it, apparently unconcerned with the bruises already forming around his neck. Tsume stalked over to the window, grabbing Shikamaru's collar as he took the chance to wrap Megu in shadows and carrying him with her, ignoring his struggles.

"Alright, that's enough!" she yelled out the window, and the sounds of growling and snapping abruptly ended.

"Idiot girl," Tsume said, then dropped a dazed-looking Shikamaru and crossed the room to kneel in front of her and gently take her reinjured in hand in her own. "I wasn't gonna kill the stupid man. Just beat him up a little," she grumbled. Her hand lit green and Nariko breathed out a sigh of relief as the pain faded. Tsume wasn't an expert healer, but a lot of people in their clan knew at least the rudimentaries of it, and her aunt was nothing if not thorough in her personal training.

"He - he doesn't deserve that," Nariko said in a wobbling voice. "He only helped 'cause dad - dad said he would."

Tsume looked up at her. "Your dad is dead, Nariko," she said a little harshly, and Nariko flinched back as though she'd been struck. After a moment she took a deep breath, recognizing that her aunt was hurt and angry and had just lost her brother and come close to losing Nariko, too.

"Yes, but he gave Noboru-ojisan a message for me before he died. He also - he also wrote me a letter," she whispered, blinking back tears. "You can read it - it's in the drawer by my bed."

Tsume stared at her. She stared back, gaze pleading, needing her aunt to understand. Finally, she sighed and gently set Nariko's hand in her lap. "You lied to me. Tricked me. Ran off and got yourself hurt."

Nariko flinched, but nodded. "Yes," she whispered.

Tsume growled and looked down. "I know you wanted to get revenge for your father, Riko-chan, but...but did you ever think about what it'd do to me? Losing you too? I can't - I can't take anymore," she said in a low voice. "No revenge is worth your life. Not for your father, or Nikko, or - or even Kiba." Her voice broke on the last word, and Nariko leaned forward and wrapped an arm around her neck.

"I know. I'm so sorry, oba-san. I didn't think I'd get hurt. I guess...I guess I thought I was clever or something," she said, ignoring the multiple eyes in the room taking in the drama.

Tsume huffed out a laugh and returned her hug. "You  _are_ clever. Just a little overconfident, maybe. You're still just a genin, you know," she said.

Nariko nodded into her shoulder. "I know. I'm really sorry, Tsume-obasan. I didn't mean to worry you."

They were interrupted before Tsume could reply by a throat clearing in the doorway. Nariko looked up, and saw Naruto's team moving through the crowd of people standing awkwardly in the doorway. Apparently everybody was back from their missions at the same time. Lovely. Kakashi-sensei, who had apparently been the throat clearer, took in the hole where the window used to be and Shikaku, ruffled and leaning against a cracked wall, and eye-smiled.

"Maa, Tsume-sama, I heard your niece caused a bit of a ruckus while we were gone."

Before anybody could answer, Naruto had pushed himself through Team Eight and stood gaping at Nariko, who was still in a hospital gown and sweats and bandaged heavily. "Na-riko?" he said in a stilted voice, then sailed across the room to pull her into a hug that somehow managed to jostle every single one of her injuries. For the second time in twenty-four hours, she passed out.

000

Nariko stood outside of the administration building, staring up at it with trepidation. It was a week after she'd been released from the hospital, and she was a little surprised by how quickly Shimura Danzo's trial had moved forward.

"They need to take care of it quickly," Shikamaru had told her in a grim voice from where he was sitting with her on the porch swing at the Inuzuka house the day before. "Dad said there's already been three assassination attempts on Danzo - from victims  _and_ allies. Plus, everybody's angry and there's been some unrest. Hopefully they'll calm down once he's convicted."

Nariko had just made a vague sound in the back of her throat. Despite Danzo having suffered through what was apparently multiple, painful deaths at the hands of the Nara, Inuzuka, and Hyuuga clans (and one Aburame), it still didn't feel like  _enough._

Nariko nervously ran a hand through her hair, still finding it disconcerting how short it was now. The day after Tsume had shown up and tried to beat the hell out of Shikaku, Kurenai had entered her hospital room with a plump, well-groomed, pretty civilian woman carrying a medium-sized hard case in one hand.

"Nariko-chan, how are you feeling?" Kurenai had asked, sitting on the bed and carefully wrapping a hand around her wrist above her cast. With the help of medic-nin, all the appendages would make a full recovery, but the casts had to stay on for two weeks.

"Better," she'd said with a smile.

"I'm glad," Kurenai had replied gently, then turned towards the woman who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. "Nariko-chan, this is my friend Aki-san. She's also a hairdresser," Kurenai said, and Nariko perked up. Her hair was, quite frankly, a mess of jagged ends and uneven curls.

"She actually does my hair. I thought maybe she could do something with yours, hmm?" Nariko had eyed her sensei's gorgeous, wavy locks and then nodded. She wasn't exactly a vain person, but between the bandages, the new scar on her cheek that trailed down from her ear and halfway across her clan tattoo, and the mess that was her hair, she'd felt distinctly unattractive for the past few days.

"I'd like that, sensei," she'd said a little shyly, and Kurenai had reached over and tucked some of said unruly hair behind an ear.

"I brought you some different pajamas, too," she'd said in a low, secretive voice, and suddenly a pair of dark blue, warm-looking pajama tops and bottoms appeared. They were obviously high-quality, and Nariko found herself holding back tears - something that seemed to happen frequently these days - at the nice gesture. Apparently Kurenai had decided that a little bit of primping would go a long way for improving Nariko's outlook, because after she got out of the shower and padded out in her new, gloriously soft and warm pajamas that didn't make her feel like she was wearing an unattractive bag, Kurenai had revealed a pedicure kit.

Her current guard, an older Nara man named Rokuro, watched in amusement as Nariko's hair was trimmed and given layers that had her curls somewhat behaving for once while Kurenai painted her toenails and gossipped with her about ordinary village going-ons. He'd even let Kurenai paint his nails a deep black color, making Nariko giggle at the sight of the slouching, deadly nin getting a manicure from her equally deadly sensei. It was the first time she'd really laughed since she found out her father had died, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was the whole reason Kurenai and Rokuro had done it.

"Nariko!" Naruto called, and she turned from her spot next to Tsume and quirked a lip up when he bounced over and gave her a careful - very careful - hug. He'd been almost afraid to touch her after the scene in the hospital room.

Nariko returned it, eyes darting to the rest of Team Seven, a little surprised to see them. "Hey, we decided to come and support you, Riko-chan! We know you have to testify, and thought having as many friends as possible there would make you feel better," he said seriously.

Nariko bit her lip, oddly touched that Naruto's team had given up their days to sit through what was sure to be a long and painful situation. Tsume reached over and ruffled Naruto's hair, making him beam up at her.

"You're a good kid," she said.

Nariko turned back to the building and put a hand on Suoh's ruff, taking a deep breath. The last thing she wanted to do was face Danzo again. She had nightmares almost every night that he featured heavily in, and she wasn't exactly excited to give her imagination more fodder. Like it or not, though, she was going in - she didn't have a choice. She'd been sent a summons to testify by the Hokage himself.

Resisting the urge to bring one of her two fingers that weren't wrapped up in the bandages on her hands to trail along the scar on her cheek - something that was rapidly becoming a nervous habit - she squared her shoulders and walked inside.

Her little entourage was silent as they made their way down the hallways and stairs and into a large, circular room filled with rows of benches on one side facing a platform along the opposite wall that held a bench table and chairs that the Konoha council would sit at. It included the clan heads and elected council to the Hokage, which up until a week ago Danzo had been on.

Tsume squeezed her hand before moving to take her seat on the platform, and Nariko was directed by a stern-looking jounin into a seat in the front row. Her two guards, which both Tsume and Shikaku still insisted she have at all times, moved to stand behind her, ignoring the complaining of the people in the benches behind them when they blocked their view. They quieted down when Meisa, her Inuzuka guard that day, turned and curled her lip, her ninken Noki copying the gesture before settling next to Suoh at Nariko and Team Seven's feet.

Team Ten had been sent out on a mission, to the annoyance of Shikamaru, but Nariko had just shushed him and told him that their duty to the village didn't stop just because she'd gotten a little beaten up by a crooked politician. He'd been patently unimpressed with her argument, but had stopped trying to get out of his mission. Probably because he sensed her need for everybody to just start acting normal around her, instead of treating her like something fragile.

Hinata entered the room with her father, Shibi and Shino close behind, and they both scampered over when they caught sight of her. Sasuke, who already looked annoyed and done with the situation and Sakura, who was uncharacteristically silent, scooted down so that Shino could sit next to Naruto and Hinata could take a spot by Nariko's side. Nariko immediately relaxed now that her team was there.

Slowly, the room filled with spectators, witnesses, and the council. Nariko forced herself not to hunch her shoulders when a small door on the other side of the room opened, and Shimura Danzo, chained in light-colored manacles that Nariko now recognized as chakra-dampening, entered the room. He was accompanied by a stern-looking Hyuuga and two other guards.

His gaze swept over the room, and stopped on Nariko. His eye bored into her, and she met his gaze steadily, glad for the weight of Hinata on one side and Naruto on the other.

Finally, he looked away as he was directed to a metal, reinforced seat to the side of the stage and chained to thick-looking loops built into it. The chair was angled so that it was perpendicular to the seating of the rest of the room, and staggered towards the general seating area so that the council could easily see Danzo. He was about twenty feet from Nariko's position, and she found herself gripping Hinata's hand hard as she studied his profile. He looked calm and assured, as though he had nothing to be ashamed of.

The force of her hatred shocked her as she stared him down. Maybe it shouldn't have, but Nariko had never really felt anything like it before. Suoh had started rumbling deep in his throat the moment the man appeared, and Nariko didn't bother telling him to stop, despite the uncomfortable looks he was garnering.

Finally, the Hokage, who was seated directly in the middle of the table holding the village's clan heads and elder council, cleared his throat. The room immediately quieted. Nariko's eyes drifted over the thirteen people sitting there, pausing on Tsume, Hiashi, and Shikaku, and wondered who had been Danzo's allies. Had any of them helped him kill a quarter of her clan? Had they known that he was running an illegal faction of ANBU? Had the  _Hokage_ known? She hated that she was doubting the very people who ran the village that she loved so much - that her father had died for.

"We are here," The Sandaime said in a solemn tone, "to discuss the crimes of Shimura Danzo, and make a decision on what is to be done with him." Nariko listened with half an ear to the list of crimes -  _treason, murder, war crimes..._

As the list grew, whispering and uncomfortable shifting started up in the audience. It only got worse from there. The first witness was a medic who had led the team that eventually developed the vaccine for the Inuzuka flu. She confirmed that they suspected it had been created by man, not nature, at the time, but could never figure out who had done it.

Then, they brought up a child of about eight years old who had been one of Danzo's most recent acquisitions. Nariko wasn't the only horrified one in the crowd as he described how he'd been treated in Danzo's training facilities - like an object, a tool to be used and discarded at will. Then, a member of the team that had been chosen to raid Danzo's facilities.

Throughout it all, Danzo remained stoic, stone faced. Then it was Nariko's turn. She told her story, starting with Nobaru's appearance in her living room and ending with the scene in the forest. She had no idea how she kept her voice steady and tears from her eyes, though by the end of it she was shaking.

Finally, it was Danzo's turn, and she couldn't stop the shiver of disgust that went through her when he spoke to confirm his identity. The Hokage looked at his one-time friend with an unreadable expression. "How do you answer to these charges, Danzo-san?" he said.

Danzo's lip quirked up in a small smile, and Nariko resisted the urge to launch across the space between them wipe the look off his face, but couldn't stop the way her lip curled. "Everything I did, I did for the good of Konoha," he said in a calm voice.

Naruto, who had been shaking next to her in rage, stood suddenly, fists clenched. "Liar! Killing a shinobi as dedicated as Tsuneo-oji could never be the right thing for Konoha. Those things you did...only...only a  _monster_ would do something like that to the people he's supposed to protect!"

There was a murmur of agreement around them, and Kakashi grabbed Naruto and pulled him firmly down into his seat. Danzo turned and gave Naruto an unimpressed look. "I don't think you have room to talk about being a monster,  _jinchuuriki."_

For a moment everything went quiet, and then the courtroom exploded into noise. Next to her, Naruto had gone completely white, and Nariko frowned even as she reached out and took his hand. What in the world was a jinchuuriki? Kakashi was striding towards Danzo, and Nariko thought he might be about to die for the last time.

Then the Hokage stood, and suddenly there was intense pressure on her, one that promised death. She froze, and her body began to shake as she stared wide-eyed at the Sandaime, who now looked less like a kind old man and more like the strongest shinobi in the village.

"Enough," he said in the now deathly quiet room, and Kakashi returned to his seat, though he was still obviously seething. The pressure lessened, but not by much, as the Hokage turned and faced Danzo.

"You know the punishment for revealing that secret," he said in a low tone, and Danzo somehow laughed, despite the power still radiating from the Sarutobi.

"Let's not pretend this wasn't always going to end in my death," he said, and then lifted his chin in defiance. "You all sit there, acting as though you haven't done just as many questionable things as I for this village. The only difference is that I do not cower from this duty in fear, as you do. Some of you even knew of my activities, and agreed with them. Isn't that right, Homura, Koharu?"

Nariko watched as the two oldest members of the council flinched, but they didn't say anything, not even when angry whispers started up in the courtroom. "But they aren't the only ones who knew of some of the things I did, and yet made no move to stop me. Hiruzen," he said in a low voice, and the Hokage pursed his lips. "When I tried to assassinate you, you did nothing."

Gasps met that proclamation, but it was nothing to the reaction he received with his next words. "When I ordered Uchiha Itachi to kill his clan, you did no -" he was cut off when the Sandaime flashed across the room and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Danzo," he said, voice full of sorrow. "What have you done?"

Nariko stared in shock as Team Seven erupted into yells, Naruto and Kakashi immediately going to hold a screaming Sasuke in place as he tried to launch himself at the Hokage and Danzo. The Uchiha clan Massacre...could it really be?

Most members of the council were standing and yelling, Hiashi being held back by a grim Tsume and Shikaku as he also tried to make his way over to the two men. By the look on his face, it wasn't with the intention of conversation. Then, Nariko's eyes met Danzo's, and she knew what was going to happen a split second before it did. Hiruzen had turned towards the council, and was trying to get them to calm down.

Even past the yelling and fighting and crying going on around her, she heard Danzo's words as he calmly shook off the manacles that he'd apparently somehow gotten open. "If I'm going to die, it seems only fair to take the daughter of the person who brought me to this point down with me."

The screams and cries became more urgent as he sped towards Nariko. Meisa saw him coming, and moved to intercept him. He spun and slammed a hand into her sternum, sending her flying backwards to crash into a bench, cracking it in half. Nariko sat, wide-eyed and frozen in shock and fear as he got closer. Then Kakashi was standing in front of her, and she watched as he easily dodged a blow from Danzo and drove him back with powerful spray of water.

Suoh and Noki were urging her to stand and herding her towards the door, her team moving to flank her. Sasuke had joined the fray with Kakashi, and she gasped when she saw Naruto and five clones race in as well. Kakashi's eyes widened - Nariko flinched when she took in the red swirling eye now visible - and moved to block an attack Danzo sent at Sasuke. The boy's eyes were red and he looked crazed, and Nariko couldn't blame him.

Danzo used his distraction to kick Kakashi into his two students, knocking all of them to the ground, and Nariko would have raced back to them if Kaito, her second guard, hadn't grabbed her and started bodily hauling her from the room with the assistance of Hinata and Shino.

Danzo made a few hand signs, and a burst of air exploded from him, scythes of wind cutting deeply into the stone floor and heading for Kakashi and his two students. The copy nin was already on his feet, crouched in front of his students, fingers moving rapidly.

The Hokage appeared in front of them before Kakashi finished whatever jutsu he was working on, cloak rippling. He made a simple hand gesture, and the wind collided with a spire of rock that jutted suddenly out of the ground.

Nariko's eyes widened as Danzo used their distraction to dart around the new stone wall and towards her again. The white of his eyes were showing, and she saw that he was really, truly determined to kill her. Kaito set her down behind him and turned to face the threat, shadows already racing to intercept him.

For an old guy who generally walked with a cane, though, he was fast, and dodged them with ease. Nariko grabbed at Kaito's jacket as best she could with her wrapped hands and pulled him backwards, taking him by surprise so she was able to fling him over a hip and behind her. She wasn't even sure why she did it, except that if she was going die, she didn't want to take any bystanders with her.

Her chakra flared around her as he got close, and she barely noticed the pain of her claws forming on her broken fingers. She knew Suoh was next to her, crouched and ready to attack. They would die together, they were  _partners -_

Then Danzo stopped in place, face a mask of annoyance. "Shadow Bind Complete," had barely left Shikaku's mouth when Tsume appeared in Human Beast Clone form. Her clawed hand was pulled back, and she looked almost joyful as she jabbed it forward into Danzo with a sick squelching noise. It burst through the front of his chest, right where his heart would be, and Nariko flinched as his blood sprayed across her face.

Danzo's shocked gaze met her own for just a moment before he slumped forward and fell at her feet, finally and truly dead.

000

Nariko was on the cloud watching hill with Shikamaru four days later, eyes half closed as he ran a hand through her hair. The last few days had been...stressful, and it was nice to just sit and relax with somebody that wasn't always asking her if she was okay. Shikamaru, like his father, could look straight through her, so there was no need.

The whole village was reeling from the information Danzo had revealed before Tsume killed him. It was rumored that the Hokage would be stepping down. Nobody had confirmed or denied that the Uchiha massacre had been ordered by the council and then covered up by the Hokage, but she had a feeling that was the truth of it. Danzo wouldn't bother trying to tear the village apart in some twisted sort of revenge with information that wasn't even true. His last moments reminded Nariko of a mad dog, lashing out at anything that came too close to his teeth.

Naruto had spent the last few days dashing between Sasuke, who was not doing well by all accounts, unsurprisingly, and Nariko, who had finally told him to just stay with his teammate. She had a good support system, after all, while Sasuke only had his team. First, of course, she'd forced the explanation of what a jinchuuriki was from Naruto.

"Is  _that_ the mysterious thing you didn't want to tell us?" she'd asked after he'd rushed through a rundown of what a jinchuuriki was, and he'd just shrugged, eyes firmly on the ground.

"Well. Huh," Nariko said.

"Huh? That - that's it?" he'd yelled, finally looking up at her. Nariko and Hinata had exchanged a look, then turned to him.

"Yeah, pretty much," Nariko confirmed. After all, she now knew what a  _true_ monster looked like, and Naruto wasn't it.

"I-it doesn't change that we're y-you're friends, Naruto-kun," Hinata said firmly. He'd promptly burst into tears.

"I'm so tired of emotional scenes," Nariko said suddenly, causing a dozing Shikamaru to twitch. She sat up and turned to look at him. "I mean. This past month has just sucked, right? And I - I think I could use some fun."

He blinked at her, then his lip quirked up. "Well. We could go to the arcade," he said in a low drawl. "We'll stop and get Hinata and Shino and my team. Then we could go to dinner."

Nariko beamed at him, then leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Mm. That sounds like fun."

And it was. For a full night Nariko didn't think about conspiracies, dead fathers, or massacred clans. It didn't make everything better, but she felt the tearing, bleeding wound in her soul begin to knit itself together. No matter how hard things got, she knew at least that she wasn't alone.

000

Shikaku sat at the table, resisting the urge to rub at his temples to soothe the headache forming there. The jounin council leaders been there for hours, discussing next steps in the shitstorm that was the political situation in his village. He should have just killed Danzo - for the final time - when he had the chance, before the man decided to cause one last cluster for the village to deal with.

The Sandaime had confirmed that what Danzo had said was true. Uchiha Itachi had been acting under orders. Danzo, Homura, and Koharu had ordered the boy to kill his own clan to prevent a coup d'etat, one that wouldn't have even been in the works if Danzo had just kept his nose out of village business in the first place.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had found out only after the fact, and kept it to himself to protect Itachi, who was apparently now a double agent in Akatsuki, a mysterious organization that had been causing ripples of concern through the great nations for years. So now they had a potentially compromised Uchiha Itachi, clan heads calling for blood over the slaughter of a clan by the village council, what had been considered the last loyal Uchiha until a few days ago was no doubt planning to defect, and their Hokage was stepping down with no clear predecessor in sight.

"I said no," a bored Hatake Kakashi said from where he slumped at the end of the table. "I'm not the right choice to become Godaime."

"Dammit, Hatake, you're the student of the Yondaime, and one of our strongest shinobi. We need you to do this," Tsume growled. There were a few murmurs of agreement, but Shikaku didn't say anything, mostly because he agreed with Kakashi. He was without a doubt a strong and loyal shinobi of Konohagakure. He was also, in his current state, emotionally incapable of handling the pressure and unavoidable guilt that came with the role. In a few years, he'd do fine, but for now he would only implode and possibly take Konoha with him.

"If not you, then who?" Inoichi demanded. "We've already received a firm and colorful no from both Jiraiya and Tsunade."

Kakashi sighed looked at the ceiling. "Shikaku-sama."

There was a pause as they waited for him to continue and Shikaku glanced at him, assuming he had said his name to get his attention. Kakashi met his gaze, and he realized with a jolt that he was actually putting his name forward as a suggestion for the next Hokage. He barked out a laugh.

"Very funny, Hatake," he grumbled, and the man's eyes narrowed.

"I don't see anything funny about it. You're just as strong a shinobi as I am, you're the village's greatest strategic mind, and you're the man who led the take down of Shimura Danzo. There's a rumor going around that you were personally responsible for five out of eleven of the man's deaths, which has raised your public approval by leaps and bounds - which was probably the only thing keeping you from being a serious candidate in the past.

You're known and respected by other Kage, and there's not a person in this room that doesn't respect and trust you. It's true that you were never a student of one of the Hokage, but you were a personal friend of my sensei, somebody he trusted implicitly. I'd say you're a more obvious choice than myself or Senju Tsunade, who abandoned her village when things got tough. Something I doubt you would ever do."

Shikaku stared at him, honestly shocked - something that didn't happen very often. Then, he found himself blindsided once again when Hiashi spoke. "I agree with Hatake, and second his nomination."

"Now, wait a minute..." he said, eyes widening and holding his hands in the air as if to ward off the thoughtful looks on the faces around him.

"I also support this nomination," Aburame Shibi said. Shikaku had to hold himself back from strangling his teammate when Inoichi smirked.

"Right, let's put it to a vote. Everybody who agrees?" Shikaku actually felt the blood drain from his face as multiple hands went up into the air.

"Great!" Kakashi said with an eye smile, and clapped his hands together. "Then we just need the approval of the daimyo and the rest of the jounin council." Nobody bothered saying out loud that there was no way Shikaku wouldn't win the vote of the rest of the jounin, and the Daimyo had always liked him. Kakashi stood to leave, and Shikaku's brain finally kicked back into gear.

"Now wait a just a minute," he growled, and Kakashi paused, tense. Shikaku narrowed his eyes, and then let a wicked smile cross over his face. "We still need to decide who will be taking on the post of jounin commander. I nominate Hatake Kakashi."

Kakashi made a high pitched whining noise in the back of his throat. Shikaku smirked.

000

Nariko and Suoh immediately hightailed it to the Nara house when they heard the news from Tsume herself. Nara Shikaku was to be named Godaime. Nariko wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that the Sandaime had stepped down.

Tsuneo had held a lot of respect for Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Nariko still remembered the kindness he'd shown her while she was an academy student and later when her team chose their specialization. He had undoubtedly messed up, and she certainly felt anger towards him for his role in the destruction Danzo had wrought, but she also didn't think he was a bad person, and in a lot of ways had been a good hokage.

She was approaching the stairs to the Nara porch when the wind shifted and a familiar scent hit her nose from the direction of the forest. She hesitated - she knew she wasn't really supposed to go in there, but she figured the person she scented wouldn't mind. Hopefully. She turned on her heel and jogged over to the trees. She'd only gone a few feet in when she caught sight of Shikaku, who was slouched against a tree looking miserable.

"Shikaku-sama, are you okay?" she whispered. He sighed and glanced up at her, face so morose that she had to fight a giggle.

"...No," he grumbled, and she walked over to stand in front of him.

"What is it? I thought people were supposed to be happy after they were chosen to be Hokage." Her words only made him slump more.

"I don't see why they would be," he grumped. "It's a thankless job that's full of  _so much work."_

She giggled before she could stop herself, and he sent her a betrayed look. "Shikaku-sama, I think you'll make a really good hokage," she said earnestly.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that right?" he finally said, and she nodded firmly, once. "Why, don't you?" she asked in a gentle voice usually reserved for puppies in the kennels. He glared at her, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"...I don't know," he said after a moment.

Nariko huffed. "Well,  _I_ do. And I bet my dad would agree. Actually, I  _know_ he would. You remember his letter to me, right? The part where he said that the only way to make Konoha a better place was for good people to step up to the job? Well, Shikaku-sama, I really believe that you're a good person who will make Konoha better," she said as firmly as she could.

He sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Kid, I'm not...I'm not some hero," he finally said. "You saw what I did to the Yamanaka in woods." He met her eyes squarely and she tried not to flinch at the memory. He saw it anyway and gave a grim nod. "He was taken from the clan of my best friend, brainwashed by a mad man, and I killed him without remorse."

Nariko bit her lip in thought before answering. "Well, being the hokage is about making really hard choices, I think. In the forest, you were trying to protect me, and information that was vital to Konoha. I think - I think, if you just remember that you're supposed to be one of the good people, and imagine, I don't know, imagine that you'll need to go home and tell Yoshino-sama and Shika-kun all the decisions you made that day, that it should help you make the  _right_ choice instead of the easy one."

He stared at her with an inscrutable expression for a few minutes. "You're a good kid," he finally said. She wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not, but he smelled less like misery now, so she'd take it.

"What're you doing here, anyway?" he finally asked, and she brightened.

"Oh! Shikamaru told me that Yoshino-sama's out of the village visiting her sister. I thought you two might want to come eat with us tonight. Akemi-kun's cooking," she said cheerfully.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Isn't that the kid who..."

Nariko cringed. "Well...yes, but he's really sorry about it!" she said, and to her surprise he laughed.

"Maa, I've been wanting to meet the prodigy that took out my kid for awhile now," he said in a wry tone, and Nariko giggled again as he straightened and moved to walk next to her so they could collect Shikamaru.

"Isn't your aunt still mad at me?" he asked, and she side-eyed him when she realized he smelled a little nervous. Suoh chuffed out a laugh from where he'd just rejoined them - she had a feeling he'd gone to intimidate the deer a little while they talked.

"Believe me, Shikaku-sama, if Tsume-obasan was still mad at you you'd know it," she said in a wry tone. Apparently her aunt considered them semi-even after she slammed him against a wall a few times and he held Danzo still so she could literally rip out his heart.

Dinner was full of Akemi stuttering over the fact that he was cooking dinner for the future hokage when he wasn't glaring at Shikamaru. Tsume did, indeed, seem to be over her anger, and spent half the night dropping unsubtle hints about all the work Shikaku would have on his plate as hokage.

Nariko watched Noboru, who had decided to stick around for another few weeks, smirk at something Shikaku mumbled under his breath when Tsume left the room. Apparently whatever distrust Shikaku had been feeling towards the man completely disappeared after their time as kidnappees together.

Shikamaru's fingers were intertwined with hers under the table, though he looked, for all intents and purposes, like he'd fallen asleep at the dinner table. Taka was chewing on a grumbling Suoh's ear, and Akemi was chattering at Hana about his day at school.

Nariko felt just a little bit more of the hole in her heart repair itself as she took in her remaining family.  _I promise I'll be happy,_ she thought to herself, and hoped Tsuneo could hear it.

000

Shikaku took a deep breath before reaching up and knocking on the door in front of him. The Uchiha district was empty, of course, and eerie in the light of the half-full moon. Gods, what had the council been thinking, deciding to have Sasuke continue to live here? What had  _Shikaku_ been thinking not doing anything about it? Perhaps he'd let himself get sucked too far into the politics of things, as well.

He'd have to watch out for that during his tenure as the Godaime. Nariko's words from earlier that day echoed in his mind as the door opened to reveal the blank face of Uchiha Sasuke.  _Just remember that you're supposed to be one of the good people._ Such simple advice, but it resonated with him for some reason. Isn't that what they should all be trying to remember?

"Sasuke," he said in a level tone. "Can I come in? I have something I'd like to speak with you about."

"Here to kill me?" the boy asked, and Shikaku let the anger in the statement wash over him. He deserved it - they all deserved it for letting him down - hell for letting his whole  _clan_ down.

"Actually, I'm here to tell you the full story of what happened to your clan - or at least everything I know of it - and to make a deal." Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his body tensed.

"Why should I trust anything you say," he growled, and for a moment his eyes flashed red. Shikaku didn't flinch or move his gaze away.

"I don't know," he finally said, and shrugged. "I could tell you that I want to makes things right, but I don't know that it's even possible. I just - I want to try, I suppose."

Sasuke scoffed, then turned and walked back into the house. He left the door open. Shikaku followed him inside, removing his shoes and shutting the door behind him. He then followed Sasuke's chakra signature into the kitchen, where the boy was making tea with jerky movements. Shikaku sat down at the table and let his eyes wander to the window, taking in the well-kept gardens there.

He remembered that Mikoto had loved her garden, and used to show it off to their friends whenever they held a get-together at her house. Something that became less and less frequent after Minato's death. Shikaku felt regret bubble like acid in his chest. What would his once-friend think of them all now? Apparently Sasuke had taken over the task of gardening after his mother died, and Shikaku's heart twisted at the thought of a young boy keeping a garden tended for a mother that was never coming home.

A cup of tea being set in front of him with more force than necessary distracted him from his thoughts. He picked it up and inhaled the fragrance of oranges and spice before taking a sip. Most likely, it wasn't poisoned with anything he wouldn't be able to smell or taste right away.

Sasuke glared at him from across the table, and Shikaku saw that his hands were trembling. Most likely in rage.

"The night of the Kyuubi attack," Shikaku began without preamble, "the Hokage's guards reported the presence of an unknown shinobi. They said he had speed and strength to rival Minato's and that he pulled forth the Kyuubi from his jinchuriki - the wife of the Yondaime. They said he was an Uchiha."

Sasuke sucked in a shocked breath. "That's a lie," he whispered, and Shikaku's lip quirked up.

"Perhaps," he agreed. "Though we know from Hashirama and Madara's final fight that the mature sharingan, perfected by its wielder, is able to control a bijuu." He went silent for a moment as Sasuke absorbed that information.

"People loved the Yondaime," Shikaku said quietly. "He was - well, it's hard to describe exactly how special Minato was if you never met him." Sasuke's eyes sharpened.

"He was your friend."

"Aa. A good friend of your father's as well." Sasuke frowned at that and looked down at his own tea. "Which is why he would have been so disappointed in us if knew what happened next." Shikaku sighed. "Mistrust of the Uchiha grew. We know now that Danzo's group fanned the flames with rumors and by forcing through laws and statutes that seperated the Uchiha from the rest of the village. Your father...he was a proud man, but he cared for Konoha. He wanted to maintain the peace, so he agreed to many of these measures, hoping it would put out some of the flames."

Shikaku rubbed a hand down his face. "It didn't work. The Uchiha became more and more withdrawn and angry, and it resulted in more distrust. It was...a vicious cycle. Finally, the elders of the clan and your father decided they'd had enough."

Shikaku looked up and met Sasuke's eyes. "They began to plan a coup d'etat."

Sasuke jerked, then shook his head. "No," he growled. "That - that's a  _lie -"_

"Perhaps," Shikaku said again with a lazy shrug. "After all, we have only the Sandaime and Homura and Koharu's statements. Be that as it may, the Sandaime and his inner council believed it. Sarutobi-sama wanted to try and work it out diplomatically. Danzo and the other two elders decided to take it into their own hands. They tasked Itachi with killing your clan."

Shikaku took a breath and glanced at Sasuke, who was staring down at the table, face unreadable. "As far as I could tell from the story, Danzo gave him an ultimatum. They were going to do it anyway, either with Root, which would probably result in a lot of casualties and others finding out about the planned coup, and would kill every single member of the clan. Or," Shikaku paused. He didn't want to say the next part, but he knew that if they wanted Sasuke to remain a part of the village, they'd need to stop lying to him.

"Just say it," Sasuke said in a surprisingly calm voice.

"Or he could do it, and they'd allow him to leave one survivor, as long as he could convince this person that he was a traitor." Shikaku wasn't surprised when Sasuke lost it. He lifted his tea just in time to save it from being tossed on the floor when Sasuke flipped the table over.

He stepped back and watched as the boy systematically destroyed every piece of cookware in the kitchen, and then smashed through the cupboards, eyes red and whirling as he screamed. Finally, he stopped and sank to his knees, staring at the floor with blank eyes. Shikaku moved over and knelt next to him, then continued speaking as if he hadn't been interrupted. He knew he had to finish this now, while Sasuke was still open to listening.

"When it was over, Itachi went to the Sandaime and told him everything that had happened. He also revealed that he hadn't worked alone. There was a second Uchiha with him that night, Sasuke," Shikaku said, voice uncharacteristically urgent. "Probably the same one that attacked the Yondaime and set the bijuu loose. He calls himself Madara, though I doubt he's truly  _the_ Madara. Itachi went with him as a spy for Konoha. That's why the Hokage kept the truth a secret. He was protecting Itachi, and the honor of the Uchiha clan. The only people who know of this part of the story is the Sandaime, myself, and now you."

Sasuke let out a humorless laugh. "That's a pretty version of the tale," he rasped, and Shikaku sighed and resisted the urge to hug the boy, knowing it wouldn't be welcomed.

"Probably," Shikaku agreed. "But it's at least part of the truth. We're trying to find a way to extract your brother but...most likely it won't be possible. Since Madara was there that night, I'm sure he realizes it was done on orders, so even with it revealed to the public, he'll probably be safe."

"Probably," Sasuke rasped, and Shikaku sighed, then shrugged a little helplessly.

"Yes. It would be better for him that way - I think if he tried to leave, the group he's in with would do everything they could to kill him. But I promise, Sasuke, I'm working on it. I'm working on bringing him back."

Sasuke scoffed and stood, crossing to the other side of the room. Shikaku slowly stood, keeping his eyes on him but not trying to get close again. "Like a promise from anybody in this village means anything."

"The village is not the council. There are good people here - people who are horrified by what happened," Shikaku said. "We made mistakes but...can you honestly say your team is evil just because they live here? Or Inuzuka Nariko? You heard her testimony, you know what she did to bring Danzo to justice. A friend of mine said recently - " Shikaku stopped and swallowed. "He said that the darkness in Konoha can only be stopped by good people standing up to the bad. People like your sensei." he paused. "People like you."

Sasuke glared at him and didn't answer. They stood in the kitchen for another few minutes until Sasuke spoke again. "You said you had a deal for me."

"Aa," Shikaku said, leaning against the counter while avoiding the broken splinters of wood and crockery. "I'm sure you're thinking of defecting." Sasuke stiffened but didn't deny it. "I wouldn't blame you, not really. But there are those who would want to ensure that you're here, in Konoha, where we can keep an eye on you."

No answer, though his hands tightened into fists. "So here's my deal. You stay through the chunin exams starting in two weeks and compete with your team." Sasuke's brow furrowed and he looked up at him.

"If at the end of that time, you want to leave Konoha, I won't stop you. I'll release you from your contract and, as long as you don't ever work against the interests or safety of Konoha, you won't be labeled a missing nin or a threat."

"You can do that?" Sasuke said, disbelief evident.

"Well, considering that as of tomorrow I'm the Godaime, yes. It would be the same deal that the Sandaime gave to one of his students when she left," Shikaku drawled, and Sasuke's eyes widened. Apparently he'd locked himself in his house and hadn't heard the news yet.

"However, if you decide to stay," Shikaku continued, "Then after you've been made chunin, I'll take you on as my student."

Sasuke stared at him. He stared back. "Why would you do that?"

Shikaku shrugged. "Because you're my responsibility. Because I owe it to your dad. Because Minato would have wanted me to. Also, you've got potential."

Sasuke's gaze turned calculating. "I suppose you must be strong if you're going to be the Godaime."

Shikaku shrugged. "Aa. I suppose."

Sasuke looked down at his feet. "And if I don't take this deal? If I try to run now?"

"Then I will personally haul your ass back here and put you on trial for abandoning your post," he said in a hard voice. He then slouched back down and yawned. It was late, and he wanted to get home to his son, who had been a little clingy lately in his own way, which mostly involved him asking for more shogi games and napping in his office. "This is a good deal, kid. It's only a few weeks."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Fine. Deal." They shook on it, and then Shikaku left, resisting the urge to tuck the kid under his arm and force him to come home with him and leave the ghost town behind. He knew better, though, than to push it.

Fixing what they, the village, had broken would take time. Good thing Shikaku was a patient man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, that's right, I made a Nara the Godaime. It's gonna be AWESOME. 
> 
> Shikaku: Problem Solver Extraordinaire
> 
> For all you Tsunade fans - I love her too but like, she's kinda still peaced out at this point...


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cute things happen. Also, Shikaku makes plans, Kurenai and Biro are pretty scary when they work together, and Sasuke gets told.

Nariko hesitated outside of the gates to the Nara compound. She bit her lip and avoided the amused gaze of the Nara at the gates. She took a step forward, then turned on her heel and went back the way she came before stopping again in indecision.

"Nariko-san," a lazy voice said behind her, and she jumped, then turned sheepish eyes to the guard.

"Um. Yes, Nara-san?" she squeaked, and he rubbed a hand over his mouth in an obvious attempt to hide his smile.

"He's home, he's not busy, and I'm sure he'll be ecstatic to see you show up carrying a picnic basket while all dressed up." Nariko knew she was probably red from the top of her head all the way to her toes. Did all Nara have to be annoyingly observant and smug when they weren't being apathetic? She couldn't  _really_ have a long-term goal to marry into their clan, could she? Also - did  _every_ Nara know who she was? Maybe her clan wasn't the only one prone to gossip sessions disguised as clan meetings.

"Right," she muttered, and stomped past him, ignoring his chuckles. She hadn't seen much of Shikamaru for almost a full week. It was true that he was busy with team training and helping his dad choose a successor for clan head, as he couldn't very well keep up with those responsibilities  _and_ be Hokage, but Nariko had a feeling he was avoiding her. She was also pretty sure she knew why.

Shikamaru could be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but he wasn't going to confront her about her lying to everybody, taking off, and subsequently getting his father and herself tortured so soon after said torturing. Not to mention her own father had just died less than two months ago. So he was probably upset and didn't want to be the asshole who yelled at a potentially-traumatized person. Or broke up with her. Her hands tightened on the picnic basket reflexively.

Her casts had come off the day before, and everything seemed to have healed up just fine. Her shoulder was also pretty well recovered, and she couldn't help but be impressed by how good of a job the medics did. The scar on her cheek would fade with time, but it would always be visible, especially where it bisected her clan tattoo.

Tsume had told her it increased her beauty by adding a layer of fierceness to her. Nariko was trying not to let it bother her, but as she'd done her hair and applied a bit of makeup that day, she felt like she couldn't really see anything else. Nariko almost wondered why she'd bothered with the blue skirt and white blouse and all the hair products if all anybody would see was her too-white hands and the white scar across her cheek. Then she'd told herself to stop being dramatic and continued with her plan.

She'd used her newly healed fingers to carefully put together bentos. They weren't the beautiful creations she knew some women put together for their boyfriends, but, well, they'd probably taste fine, and they were neat at least. Then she'd hemmed and hawed and picked up around the house and stared at the door until Suoh had decided he'd had enough.

"Stop being such a coward. If he breaks up with you, then at least it's over and done with." Nariko had gaped at him stupidly until he'd snapped at the back of her thigh and she'd darted out of the house before he started aiming with more serious intent.

Nariko took a deep breath and wiped her hand on her skirt before raising a fist and knocking on the door. She stood for a moment, ears picking up movement before Yoshino called for Shikamaru to answer the door. She swallowed, but forced herself not to hunch in on herself as slow, shuffling footsteps accompanied by grumbling approached the door. She pressed her lips together to keep from giggling at his grumpiness.

It swung open to reveal Shikamaru in what was probably a sleep-rumpled t-shirt and his usual tan pants. Her guess on what he had been doing was further confirmed by the sleep lines on his face. He blinked at her a little stupidly, eyes darting from her face to her outfit to the basket.

"Uh. Hi, Shikamaru-kun. I, I thought maybe you'd want to have a picnic. With me. If you're not busy! I just, I asked Ino if you had any team activities or missions planned today and she said no and then Shikaku-sama said that you weren't doing anything Nara related and so I -"

Shikamaru held up a hand and she immediately stopped talking. He wasn't exactly jumping for joy to see her. She felt suddenly, stupidly on the verge of tears - something that happened a lot lately, and it didn't take a Yamanaka to figure out why she was a little over sensitive these days. He must have noticed, because his eyes widened in alarm.

"Uh, actually, you know what, I just remembered that I have a - thing, with the ninken, so I'm just going to -" she started backing up rapidly, and let out a small squeak of alarm when her foot hit air as she came to the end of the porch and started toppling backwards.

Shikamaru proved that he was, despite his laziness, an actual trained shinobi when he darted forward and grabbed the arm not holding the basket, pulling her towards him. She stumbled forward, hitting his chest with an  _oof_ of displaced air. The picnic basket swung around and hit him in the side, causing him to wince even as he helped her gain her balance.

"Are you alright?" He asked once she was standing on her own two feet, and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from bursting into mortified tears. She nodded her head once, then took a step back, this time carefully, feeling around with her foot until she found the step.

"Yes. Thank you. Sorry. For waking you up, I mean. I'll just -"

He sighed and reached out to snag her hand. "Whatever you're thinking just. Stop thinking it. Give me a second to change and I'll be right out."

She blinked at the suddenly empty air in front of her. Nariko seriously considered turning tail and running while she had the chance, but gave her head a firm shake. If Shikamaru wanted to break up, she'd just have to accept that. There were consequences to everybody's actions, after all. Though...she hoped he'd give her a second chance.

Nariko was saved from her own thoughts when he appeared again in his usual outfit, hair having obviously been brushed and then redone. His eyes took her in again.

"You look nice," he commented, and before she could think about it her hand lifted to her new scar. He sighed and reached out to grab her wrist, gently lowering her arm back to her side. Her heart lifted a little when he grabbed her hand in his own.

"You're pretty, with or without the scar," he grumbled, eyes not meeting her own. She didn't know what to say to that, so she remained silent. He sighed again, then reached around her to snag the picnic basket.

When they got to the edge of the forest Nariko's steps faltered for a barely a fraction of a moment, the familiar trees bringing up unpleasant memories. Shikamaru of course noticed, but he didn't say anything, just changed direction so that they were following a trail that stayed on the edge of the trees. Grateful for both the understanding and the silent acceptance, she walked with him until they went around a bend that blocked his house from sight. Shikamaru rummaged around in the basket, pulling out the blanket she'd brought.

She helped him lay it out, sneaking glances at his unreadable expression a few times. She couldn't tell what he was feeling, and that made her nervous. Was he only going along with the picnic because he felt sorry for her? The thought made her feel a little ill, and by the time they were sitting she was wringing her hands and unable to take the silence anymore.

"I'm sorry," she blurted. "I mean, I know I shouldn't have had my friends l-lie to you, and I shouldn't have involved your father. And I. I just want you to know that next time I won't - I mean, if we're together, I won't do that again, if I have a choice. But if we're not together, if that's not what you want, I understand, I won't b-bother you anymore -"

"So that's what's upsetting you," he said, cutting her off. She looked up at him and saw him looking amused, of all things.

"This isn't funny," she said quietly. "Not to me."

He leaned forward, face suddenly serious, and cupped her face in his hands. "Nariko. I'm not mad. I was at first, yeah, but..." he shrugged. "He was your dad, and it was your clan. You're a kunoichi. You made a plan and you executed it, and in the end it worked despite a few setbacks." She snorted at that mild description of what had been a veritable shitstorm, but he kept talking. "I'm not the center of your universe. I get that. Yeah, next time I'd like to not be kept in the dark, but I doubt it'll be an option every time with our jobs."

She met his eyes, suddenly confused, though she didn't resist the urge to nuzzle into his palm. "Okay, well...if you aren't upset, then why have you been avoiding me?"

He lowered his hands from her cheeks, using one to lean his weight on as he continued to face her, the other going to play with a curl of her hair that had fallen forward. "Your aunt asked me to give you some space. She thought you might need some time to...I don't know, recenter yourself."

Nariko blinked at him. "Oh," she said. Then, "I wish you hadn't listened to her." She looked down at her hands. He was quiet for awhile before speaking.

"Sorry," he said. "I thought she would have told you." she glanced up met his warm brown eyes.

"Well, next time, just ask me what  _I_ want. I thought you...well."

"Nah. Actually, I have something for you." He pulled a small rectangular jewelry box out of his pocket. She reached forward and took it from him, and bit her lip when she saw him looking to the side, a small scowl on his face.

The lid opened with a smart click, and she stared down at its contents for a moment. "Shikamaru..."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Your aunt said I couldn't formally court you until you were sixteen, but, I want you to know that if I could I would. I know we're young, but," he shrugged and clamped his lips shut.

She lightly ran her fingers across the silver and black chains twisted together to form a necklace. At the end was a small grey pearl in a teardrop shape and she swallowed when she saw the Nara clan symbol etched into it.

"The metal is stronger than it looks," Shikamaru mumbled. "It's a special alloy, so it won't break."

"This is your clan symbol," she finally said.

"...Yes."

Nariko stared at him, and breathed out slowly once, limbs almost numb in relief. She had spent most of her childhood surrounded by strong independent women, except for the few years between her mother's death and when she moved to Konoha. So, she knew that she didn't need a boyfriend or girlfriend to be happy, and that she would have been okay if they broke up.

The thought of losing Shikamaru along with everything else that had happened, however, had been eating away at her. She carefully set the box to the side and shuffled on her knees until she pressed up against his side. He blinked at her as she plopped down next to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She turned her head and buried it against his neck, inhaling deeply before turning and nuzzling her cheek against his jugular.

He stiffened, but after a moment lifted a hand to her head and rested it there. The other wrapped around her waist. "That - that means something when you do that, right?" he asked after clearing his throat.

Nariko turned her face into his collar, but nodded through her embarrassment. "It's...well..."

"You're putting your scent on me," he said slowly. Stupid, smart Nara. She just nodded again.

"Is it like a possessive thing?" he asked in a neutral tone.

She hesitated before answering. "Not...not in the way you're thinking," she mumbled after turning her head so that it was resting on his shoulder and her words wouldn't be muffled. "It's not like a 'back off, property of Inuzuka Nariko' thing. It's more like...like a pride thing?" His hand tightened on her head.

Embarrassed, but knowing it was best to explain why she was rubbing her scent all over him, she continued. "It just means that, that I'm proud that you're part of my...pack I guess. And uh, the specific spot," she reached up and ran her fingers lightly down the other side of his throat, making him shiver. "That has a kind of romantic connotation. Well, parents will nuzzle their children there, too, so it's also a -"

"Nariko," he said, and it was her turn to shiver a little at his low voice. "It's okay. I like it." Her eyes widened.

"You do?" she said in a small voice, and she felt him nod against her head.

"I do. Should I..." he drifted off, but the hand on the back of her head moved forward to brush against her own throat.

She leaned back and stared up at him. Instead of answering she slowly gathered her hair to one side, exposing her neck, and then tilted her head. His breathing picked up a little, and his scent thickened. Then, slowly, he leaned forward, one hand coming up to cup the other side of her throat. He nuzzled into her, and a tingly sensation went from where his breath fanned out against her skin and spread down her back.  _Goosebumps,_ she thought to herself.

He pulled back and they stared at each other, dazed for a moment, his hand moving up to cup her face instead of her neck. Tentatively, she smiled, and he returned it with a quirk of his own lips. He ran a thumb along her cheekbone before dropping it and clearing his throat.

"Right," he said. "Should we eat?"

Nariko shook her head a little to clear it, then leaned away and nodded. "Sure," she said, and busied herself with pulling out the bentos and bottled water she'd packed while her heart went back to its normal rhythm

When he opened his own to reveal two rice balls, a tomato salad, and a little cake, he looked up at her. "Did you make these?"

"Mm-hmm," she said a little distractedly as she pulled out some chopsticks. When she handed him a set, she saw that he was smiling at her. Just a little thing - most of his smiles were small, as though his face just couldn't expend the effort to do it all the way - but they were all, in her opinion, very attractive.

"You thought I was going to break up with you, and you made me lunch?" he asked after she'd swallowed a bite of salad.

"Well, I mean, I  _hoped_ you wouldn't. The picnic was incentive not to?" she said a little sheepishly, and he snickered.

"And the skirt?" he said, face going smirky and smug before he took a bite of a rice ball.

She rolled her eyes and tugged on the hem of said skirt. "Also incentive," she said a little primly, and was rewarded with one of his laughs. When they were done eating, she picked up his gift and studied it, aware that he was watching her.

"I guess this is your version of scent marking, huh?" she finally said, and giggled when his eyes darted to the side. "Well, put it on me," she said, handing it to him and then turning and lifting her hair out of the way. After a moment his hands came into her vision, one holding the necklace. His fingers brushed against her skin as he pulled the cool metal back to lie against her throat. He fumbled a bit with the clasp, but eventually got it in place and pulled his hands back. She turned back to face him, reaching up and adjusting the pearl, which settled just in the hollow of her throat.

"How does it look?" she asked a little nervously after a moment.

"It looks good," he mumbled before looking away.

She sighed at his embarrassment, then reached over and gave him a firm push. He fell back with a sound of surprise, but didn't try to sit up. She moved the now-empty bentos out of the way and crawled over to his side, then stretched out next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. His arm wrapped around her and his fingers immediately went to her hair, making her hide a smile against his side.

"Thank you," she said a few minutes later. "For the necklace. It's beautiful."

"...You're welcome," he said, and she was pretty sure that his cheeks would be red if she looked up.

Nariko fiddled with the pendant as her eyes grew heavy. She hadn't been sleeping very well lately for obvious reasons, and she felt comfortably full and happy in a way she hadn't for awhile. It was no surprise when she fell asleep a few minutes later. Her last thought was that this was probably Shikamaru's version of a perfect date.

000

Shikaku studied the three jounin standing at attention in front of his desk. It was true he wasn't looking forward to the upcoming conversation, but anything was better than the meeting he'd just escaped. He'd been discussing what to do with Homura and Koharu with the council. The last attempt at a public trial had been...well, it'd been a shitstorm, to put it lightly, but  _not_ having a trial would bring out a lot of problems all on its own.

They'd all agreed, at least, to put it off until after the chunin exams. "Kakashi, Asuma-san, Kurenai-san," he greeted. "Thanks for coming. Pull up some chairs, we've got a few things to discuss."

They exchanged glances, but didn't argue, each moving to pick up a chair from against the wall and set them in front of his desk. Once they were settled, he spoke.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush. Kakashi, I spoke with Sasuke four days ago. I offered him a deal."

Kakashi stiffened, and Shikaku internally groaned. Just as he suspected, the man was overprotective of his team. "Oh? And what sort of deal did you offer  _my_ student?"

Shikaku studied the man in front of him for a moment. "I told him that if he participated in the chunin exams with his team, I would give him a choice."

Kakashi gave him a flat-eyed stare. "A choice."

"Yes. At the end of the exams, he could choose to be released from his contract to Konoha -" he ignored the way Kakashi shot to his feet, eye narrowed and fists clenched, "-and leave the village with no retaliation as long as he agreed not to work against her interests.  _Or,"_ he said when Kakashi took a breath in preparation to speak, "he could choose to stay, and I would take him on as a student."

Kakashi blinked once, and Kurenai and Asuma actually gaped at him. "You can't just -"

"I can, and I did," Shikaku said firmly. "We can't force him to be a loyal shinobi. We need to earn that right back. I know I took a risk, here, but I believe there is still hope for Sasuke."

Everybody was silent as they took in his words. Shikaku knew if things went badly, this wouldn't be a popular decision. Honestly, though, it wasn't like Shikaku wanted the damn hat anyway. For once, he was going to make sure the village did the right thing by that kid.

"So...why are Kurenai and I here?" The Sarutobi asked.

Shikaku leaned back in his chair. "I want to give him a reason to stay - one beyond gaining power. I also want to provide him with a support system."

"He has one," Kakashi said in a strained voice. "He has his team."

"And one day your team will be very strong, of that I have no doubt. I can already see that you four are forming bonds, but...they're still new - fragile. In the face of what he learned about the council, I'm worried they won't be enough to keep him." He sighed. "Team Eight and Team Ten are his peers, and they're examples of the good that can be found Konoha."

"You want him to get close to Nariko," Kurenai said bluntly, and Shikaku shrugged, unsurprised that the woman was the first to figure it out. She was, after all, an avid studier of psychology since it helped her enhance her genjutsu.

"Not just her, but, yes, she's a large part of it. She can empathize with him in a way not many people can. She's also a very kind person." He leaned back in his chair. "I know I'm not supposed to meddle in the way jounin-sensei train their teams, but I would like to make a request that you do some joint exercises this week. And, obviously, that Kakashi's team enter the exams."

Kurenai and Asuma exchanged looks before shrugging. "I'm okay with it. Biro-san and I were thinking of setting up some scavenger hunts. Your teams are welcome to join us."

"Scavenger hunts," Kakashi deadpanned, unimpressed. Kurenai smirked at him, and Shikaku couldn't help but think it was a terrifying expression on the woman.

"Afraid your kids won't be able to keep up, Hatake?" she said sweetly, and Asuma chuckled. There were stress lines around the man's eyes that hadn't been there a few weeks ago, and Shikaku couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Sarutobi Hiruzen had gotten their village through two wars, and stepped up to the plate after Minato died to keep their village together in the wake of the Kyuubi attack.

He had undoubtedly made a mistake with Danzo, but then, so had they all in their own ways. For this mess to be the way we was remembered was...unfortunate. Kakashi had narrowed his eyes at Kurenai, who was returning his stare steadily. Shikaku wondered suddenly how much of the girl's sensei was rubbing off on Nariko.

Before Kakashi could respond he cut them off. "Alright. So, this week your teams will do a few joint training sessions. Now, on to another matter." He plopped a folder down on the desk, and Kurenai reached out after a moment of hesitation and picked it up. Both men crowded around her when she opened it.

"This is..." she said after a moment of reading, and Shikaku sighed.

"Yeah, it's a pain, but at least we came across this information now - there was a lot to go through from what we found in the Root hideouts."

Asuma ran a hand down his face. "I'm guessing you have a plan?"

Shikaku just smirked.

000

Nariko took a moment to wipe sweat out of her eyes and Bunko-sensei backed off, eyes narrowed on her. As the woman stepped to the left to try and flank her, Nariko did, too. On her other side Suoh tracked Bunko's movements, feet moving lightly as he turned his body so that she didn't leave his sight.

For a moment, they were still, and then Nariko leapt forward, bringing the bokken in her left hand up to block a downward slash from Bunko as the weapon in her right slashed at the woman's knee. She jumped and twisted, so that Nariko's strike missed along with Suoh's bite at her side. Nariko followed it up, ignoring the burning in her arms - which had definitely lost some of their muscle mass while she was healing - bokken whirling as she pressed her sensei.

When Nariko wasn't striking, Suoh was there, timing the snaps of his jaws so that they either drove Bunko towards Nariko or distracted her from one of his partner's attacks. Of course, Bunko-sensei was a jounin and accomplished kenjutsu user, and she ended up blocking all of Nariko's rapid-fire strikes and slashes and somehow flowed around Suoh's attacks without a lot of effort.

It should have been frustrating, but instead Nariko found it invigorating. When she sparred with Bunko, she pushed her body as far and as fast as it could go. Her brain was forced to completely focus on the fight, watching for the twitches and movements of Bunko's muscles that would help Nariko guess her next move, and on Suoh's tells so she knew when to move in and when to step back.

She ignored the sweat dripping down her back, vaguely aware that her team had arrived to start their training, but didn't dare take her eyes off of Bunko, who had a small fierce grin on her face as her own bokken moved into a blur. Nariko was aware that Suoh had stepped back and sat down, apparently content to watch Nariko as she ducked and spun and flipped around her sensei, who had planted her feet and was now focused on blocking Nariko's attacks.

Finally, Bunko stepped to the side, hooking her own training sword under and around the short bokken in Nariko's right hand and sending it flying, and then blocked her follow up from the other.

"Enough," Bunko said, and Nariko immediately stepped back, shaking the feeling back into her left hand and then bowing at her sensei, chest heaving as she pulled air into her burning lungs. She had tossed her coat aside towards the beginning of the practice, but even without its extra weight there was sweat pouring down her neck and between her shoulder blades.

Bunko eyed her, amused, and annoyingly fresh-looking. "Yeah, I guess you're gonna need to get back into fighting shape, huh?"

Nariko walked over to where her bokken had fallen and picked it up before putting both practice swords into their slings on her back. "Yes, Bunko-sensei," she grumbled, and the woman's lip quirked up. Before she could answer, however, a yellow and orange blur appeared.

"Nariko-chan! You're so awesome!" She turned, wondering what Naruto was doing at her team practice, and her eyes widened when she saw the crowd of people hanging out on the edge of the training grounds. Apparently she'd been a little  _too_ focused on her spar with Bunko - dangerously so if her senses didn't pick up the extent of her audience.

Teams Ten and Seven were standing in a loose group along with Kurenai, Biro, Hinata, and Shino. She bit her lip when she caught sight of Shikamaru, who was slouched over and looking miserable - it  _was_ pretty early, still, she supposed - then turned her attention to an excitable Naruto, who had bounced up to her, his team following in his wake.

"Naruto," she greeted with a small smile, "what are you doing here?"  _Along with everybody else._ She glanced over at Shikamaru again, who seemed to be staring at the ground as if contemplating whether it was soft enough to sleep on.

"We're going to do a group exercise! All of us!" Nariko moved her gaze to Kurenai, who smiled a little and stepped forward.

"That's right! Biro-san and I have been working on a scavenger hunt for Team Eight, and decided to invite Teams Seven and Ten along. We thought it would be more challenging with a group of people." Her voice and smile were kind and soft, but Hinata, Shino, and Nariko immediately shared alarmed looks. They knew what that glint in their sensei's eye meant. This wouldn't be easy.

Biro chuckled at their expressions. "Ah, I see you've caught on."

Sasuke scoffed. "A scavenger hunt? I don't have time to play children's games - I need to train for the exams." Nariko blinked at his unapologetic rudeness - didn't he know that Kurenai-sensei could easily break him in half? - as he turned on his heel and started to stalk away.

"Sasuke-kun, wait!" Sakura said in a small voice, and Nariko frowned at her. Timid wasn't actually a word she would have used to describe the girl in her academy days. Though she looked as perfectly put together as always - long hair gleaming, dress unwrinkled, she even  _smelled_ nice - there was something about the way she held herself that seemed tired and downtrodden. Things had obviously not been good for Team Seven since the trial.

"Hey, bastard! Don't talk to Kurenai-sensei that way!" Naruto yelled with more anger than he usually would. Sure, he was loud and brash and yelled out his feelings all the time, but he seemed more frustrated than usual.

Kakashi appeared next to Sasuke and put an arm around him, steering him back towards the group. "Now, now, now, you haven't even given this a try! I hear Biro and Kurenai make quite the team!" he said cheerfully, and Kurenai's and Biro's faces morphed into identical looks of horror, making Nariko and Hinata both giggle.

Asuma cleared his throat and pushed his students forward. Ino had her arms crossed over her chest and was drifting closer to Sasuke while Sakura scowled at her half heartedly and the boy in question ignored them both in favor of glaring at a tree. Chouji was munching on a carrot stick, and Shikamaru was looking even more miserable than he had before.

"So, tell us about this scavenger hunt!" Kakashi said, hand resting firmly on his recalcitrant student's shoulder.

"Shika," Nariko whispered, and when he glanced over at her she tilted her chin. He obediently shuffled over to her side, ignoring Ino's smirk.

"Tired?" She said him in a low voice as Biro cleared his throat and stepped forward with his usual dramatic flourishes. She laughed when his scowl became more pronounced, and gave his shirt a little tug. He got the point and leaned some of his weight against her and closing his eyes. She wondered briefly if his clan were like horses, and could sleep standing up. Suoh huffed, then moved up on his other side to give him more support.

"Right, so this scavenger hunt won't be like any of the others you've done. Kurenai and myself have hidden three scrolls throughout Konoha. We'll give you a starting clue, which will lead you to the next clue, and the next, and so on and so forth. Once you find your scroll, you're to take it to the coordinates that will be written inside of it. The first team there wins, and gets to choose where we have dinner. Clues for your team will be marked with your team number. Destroy or sabotage another team's scroll and you automatically lose."

Naruto perked up and yelled "Ramen!"

Hinata, Shino and Nariko exchanged looks over Shikamaru's slumped form and gave determined nods. Anybody who spent too much time with Naruto was bound to be tired of the dish. The three of them were no exception.

"Alright, each hint will have extra instructions - a handicap, if you will. If you ignore the handicap, your team will automatically lose."

"This is  _stupid,"_ Sasuke hissed at Kakashi, who just patted his head absently, easily dodging the boy's retaliatory swipe. He looked so much like an angry cat being doted on by his owner that Nariko couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. She immediately regretted it when Sasuke's attention turned to her.

He narrowed his eyes, then slowly ran them over her clinically. She straightened her shoulders and met his gaze, recognizing a challenge when she saw one. "I don't know what you're laughing about. I saw you fighting earlier - you're not any type of competition."

His words caused a familiar feeling of rejection to curl in her stomach, and she knew her hurt was reflected in her expression. It was stupid, since she barely even knew Sasuke. Plus, logically, he was right - she was a beginner with her swords, of course she wasn't impressive with them yet.

Next to her, Shikamaru straightened up from where he'd been half asleep. Suoh let out a low, rumbling growl that could be heard even over Naruto's sudden yelling. Shino's kikaichu began buzzing ominously, and even Hinata took a small step forward.

"And I guess you think you're something special," Shikamaru drawled, and she put an elbow into his side. He huffed out a breath of air and grumbled "Troublesome woman," under his breath. Just like that, the feeling of not being good enough faded as she took in the faces of her friends.

"Sasuke-san, there's no need to fight," she said mildly, and the boy, who had been about to respond to Shikamaru, turned his attention back to her. "We're comrades, after all. I only laughed because I thought Kakashi-sensei was funny. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," she said, suddenly deciding that she wouldn't let anything else the angry boy said upset her. It was obvious that his problem was with the world, after all, not her specifically.

Ignoring the gaping and sputtering going on around her at her easy forgiveness, and Sasuke's annoyed expression, she turned to Biro before anybody could say anything stupid. "So, can we have our clues now?" His lip quirked up, and he reached into a pouch on his thigh, flipping three small scrolls to each of their sensei.

"Your teachers will taking you to the starting points," he said as they easily caught them.

Nariko moved to follow Kurenai, and Shikamaru grabbed her hand to tug her to a stop. His scowl was firmly in place, and she tilted her head at him in question. He looked at her and sighed, then rubbed the back of his neck. "What he said..."

She grinned at him as she realized he was trying to make sure she was okay. "It's fine, Shika-kun, I know. He's just really..."

"A jerk?" he grumbled, and she laughed, making his lip quirk up.

"Angry," she said instead. She squeezed his fingers before letting go. "Good luck. You'll need it, to beat my team," she said as she backed up, smile growing as he sighed and looked up at the sky.

"Troublesome. Now I'll have to win or you won't respect me as a man anymore." She laughed again, the sound traveling across the field to the other teams, and gave him a small wave.

"Who says already I think that?" she called out before spinning around and taking off into a jog towards her team. For a moment she felt guilt fall over her like a heavy blanket. She shouldn't be  _laughing_ and having a good time when her dad was dead, should she? Then she remembered his letter, and shook off the feeling as much as she could, instead focusing on Hinata's small smile and Shino's pleased buzzing and the sound of Shikamaru grumbling as he shuffled over to his own team.

She had made her father a promise, and she knew that what he really wanted was her happiness. So she'd try her best to give him his last request.

The first clue was a simple  _Our shadows spread across the village, silent protectors. I am the first._ There was a cheerful little note beneath that said stage one was a no-chakra-enhancement exercise unless you needed it to save yourself from a horrible death. Hinata smiled at the little stick figure with 'X'es for eyes Biro had drawn at the bottom, and Nariko wondered what the other teams would make of his sense of humor.

"I believe he is saying that the second clue can be found on Hokage Monument. Specifically, on Hashirama-sama." Shino said.

"I think so too," Hinata said.

"Knowing Kurenai-sensei and Biro-sensei, probably directly on him," Nariko said with a smile. They broke into a run, though they were careful not to use any chakra. She noticed the other teams head off into different directions.

"I think not all of the first clues are the same," she noted, and Shino nodded in agreement. It was already a warm day, and Nariko hadn't bothered to put her jacket back on, more than comfortable in her tank top and pants.

They were breathing a little hard by the time they made it to the top of the monument, and Nariko wrinkled her nose. "I'm out of shape," she grumbled.

"We should do more endurance training," Hinata agreed, and Shino inclined his head. They walked over to stand over the top of Hashirama's head and peered down the cliff face. Hinata's small "Byakugan!" was carried away by the breeze.

"Um, I think I see them," she said. "Down by Hashirama-sama's lips."

"Okay," Nariko said. "Who should -"

"Not you, your fingers may still be weak from their recent healing," Suoh said firmly. Nariko wanted to argue, but the stubborn set of Hinata's chin told her there would be no point. Plus, her arms were still recovering from her practice session with Bunko that morning.

"Fine," she grumbled. Hinata took off her coat and handed it to Nariko after some discussion. They decided that Hinata would keep her Byakugan activated to look for the traps Shino's bugs might miss that they were pretty sure were there knowing their teachers. Also, she was less likely to fall for any genjutsu that Kurenai may or may not have put down.

Shino sent his kikaichu down to check for traps. After a moment, he spoke. "There are three that my partners have found," he said. He'd stopped hesitating over the word the week after they'd gotten their tattoos.

After mapping out the areas Hinata should avoid, the girl slipped over the side and began making her way down the cliff face. It was actually pretty easy compared to the stuff Biro usually had them climbing up and down, and Hinata found hand and foot holds without problem or hesitation. Pride for her team swelled in her chest as Hinata made it to Hashirama's lips and then back up the rock face without triggering a single trap. When she got there, Shino and Nariko each grabbed a hand and pulled her back up.

"There was a genjutsu over the scrolls," Hinata admitted. "They looked like bird nests. Do you think Shikamaru-kun and Naruto-kun's teams will find them okay?"

"I believe they will be fine," Shino said as he took the scroll with the number  _8_ marked on the front while Nariko handed Hinata a water bottle. "Because Sasuke will also be able to easily see through an illusion, and Shikamaru is too clever to fall for a trick like that."

For some reason, that made Nariko blush. It's not like she didn't know he wasn't clever, but hearing somebody else say something nice about him made her feel squiggly and warm. Shino gave a small sigh, obviously noticing her red cheeks, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"The next clue will be in training grounds seven. We are not allowed to bring our partners with us," he said, sounding put out. Suoh huffed and Hinata gave them concerned looks.

"Why would they...?" she asked, and Shino shrugged.

"I believe that each stage is designed to handicap one team over the other. Force them to work around their own weaknesses. This first test was obviously in our favor, as we practice without the use of chakra, and are well-versed in avoiding traps due to our specialization."

Nariko blinked in sudden realization. "Oh! So it's only fair that the next stage is geared more in the other teams' favor. I wonder what it could be?" she said as they took off, this time using chakra to bounce down the cliff face so that they reached the bottom much more quickly than they had ascended.

Shino had his kikaichu move over to Suoh's fur when they reached the edge of the training grounds. The ninken grumbled but didn't actually seemed bothered by the insects as he stretched out in the sun for a nap. Nariko took in Shino's tense posture and reached out to grab his hand. She wasn't sure that he'd ever really been without them before.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked, moving to his other side, and he inclined his head.

"I am. It is just...uncomfortable being completely without them." Hinata and Nariko exchanged looks.

"Shino, if you want, we can forfeit -"

"No," he said firmly. "I do not want to forfeit, because that would be admitting that I am overly dependent on my kikaichu. I trust Suoh to keep watch over them."

Suoh grumbled an agreement, and Nariko squeezed Shino's hand once more before they moved naturally into formation. Nariko was in the front, scenting the air and listening closely for signs of other life or where their scrolls might be.

Shino was in the middle, and she heard a  _schnick_ as he released his stilettos. Hinata was in the rear, and after they entered the training grounds she activated her Byakugan. "Um, I see two. It looks like Team Seven just left, and they have a third. I can't tell which is which," she said a little apologetically.

"That's okay. Just choose the closest one," Nariko said, then followed Hinata's instructions. She deactivated her Byakugan, and they began to move as quickly as they could through the forest without being reckless.

It turned out that they relied on Shino's kikaichu a little more than expected to locate traps. They stumbled out of the training grounds an hour later, laughing and covered in cuts and singe marks, but with scroll in hand. Shino was sulking as he read through the clue, while Hinata and Nariko had to avoid looking at eachother or at him to avoid breaking down into laughter all over again.

Shino was a little more singed than them, and his already-fluffy hair was even crazier than usual, and covered in sticky pink strings. Nariko's neck and chest were dyed green and Hinata's whole face, minus a strip across her eyes where she'd flug up an arm to protect them right before a powder bomb went off in front of her, was covered in black soot.

"Kurenai-sensei definitely set up that challenge," Nariko said once she could talk again, though her abs were actually sore from laughter.

"We are to go back to training grounds eight and place our scroll on the tallest pole," Shino grumbled as he tucked the scroll away. "Taijutsu only, no ninjutsu or bloodline limits allowed."

They took to the trees, Hinata and Nariko struggling to hold in their giggles so they didn't lose all semblance of stealthiness. Finally, they crept up on the grounds. Shino sent out his insects once they decided it counted as a clan technique and not a bloodline limit while Nariko and Suoh scented the air.

"Both Team Ten and Team Seven are approaching," he said. "No time for any fancy plans."

"Crap," Nariko said.

"Hinata should take the scroll - she is almost as fast as Nariko in a short sprint," Shino finally said. "Nariko, Suoh and I will try and slow down the other teams."

Shino handed the scroll over, and Hinata nodded, determination coming over her features. "Okay, here I go," she whispered, and darted out of the trees, Nariko and Suoh flanking her.

They almost lost right when the other two teams appeared due to Hinata and Nariko and exploding into mirth again. Shino wasn't the only one that had been a victim of the flaming pink sticky string. Naruto and Sasuke were both covered in the stuff, along with minor burns (barely a sunburn, it hadn't been a strong flame). The right side of Shikamaru's face was the same color as Hinata's, and Ino had fallen victim to the green flying blobs that Nariko had come across. Chouji was completely soaked through, and his green overshirt was shredded.

All of them looked so put out that it was all Nariko could do to keep running despite her laughter. It seemed like their senseis didn't have the senses of humor that Kurenai and Biro did. Nariko had a feeling the two fed off of each other, despite their open dislike of one another.

Team Seven had entered on their right, and it looked like they had the same plan as Team Ten - they'd sent Sakura ahead with the scroll and were focused on slowing down the other teams. Shikamaru's team...there was no obvious scroll holder. They were instead moving forward and back in a pattern that changed up who was where in the formation, making it impossible to see what their endgame was.

"Hinata's faster than Sakura," Nariko said. "We just need to keep them off her."

As if called by her announcement, Sasuke zipped away from his team and towards theirs. Nariko met him with her bokken drawn, driving him back. She grinned fiercely as his eyes widened in shock at how quickly she'd moved. Then Suoh was there, and Sasuke had to twist out of the way to avoid his snapping jaws.

Nariko barely dodged a hail of shuriken he sent her way, and she followed up with a series of slashes with her bokken. He dodged all but one, barely wincing when it smacked down on his forearm with enough force to leave a nasty bruise.

They weren't expecting it when a large explosion knocked them all off their feet and sent them flying through the air. They rolled a few times before coming to a stop, stunned. Nariko sat up and looked around, noting that both her team members, Suoh, and all of Team Seven were in a similar state to her.

She turned her attention to the pole once it became apparent that everybody was fine, and her jaw dropped when she saw Team Ten standing there, Shikamaru grumping as he struggled to lift one of Ino's feet above his head while she scolded him for being unsteady. Chouji was calmly holding her up the other foot, and a moment later she set the scroll on the pole.

"What..." Naruto said from next to her, pink thread hanging from his hair into one of his eyes.

"No fair, your team has a Nara," Kakashi grumbled, stepping out of the trees with a laughing Kurenai and smirking Asuma.

"You weren't paying attention to your surroundings," Kurenai scolded Team Eight as soon as she stopped laughing. "What have I told you about rushing in?"

"Sorry, sensei," the three of them said on reflex, then exchanged bemused looks. Shino and Sasuke were a few feet from each other, and both were so obviously pouting, on top of their ruffled, burned, and pink stringed appearance that Nariko found herself slapping a hand over her mouth to try and hold in a guffaw.

Next to her, Hinata made a choked off giggling noise. After that, it was impossible to hold back. Nariko laid back on the ground as tears filled her eyes, aware that Hinata was covering her face to hide it as she lost control again.

A moment later, another voice joined in their laughter - Naruto - and then another that she was pretty sure was Sakura. A blob appeared above her, and her amusement somehow increased as Shikamaru's half-soot-half-not face came into focus. "Maa, what, don't I even get a congratulations for winning? I thought you'd be impressed."

Nariko flapped a hand at him, and he grabbed it to help her sit up, watching, face a mix of amused and fond, as she wiped the tears from her cheeks, aware that she was probably smearing dirt across it. "S-sorry. It's just, it's just we all look so r-ri-ridiculous!" She leaned over, pressing her lips together to try and get control of herself as her whole body trembled with the effort.

She spent some time breathing deeply and not looking at anybody, aware of Hinata doing the same thing next to her. Finally, she glanced over at Shikamaru, who was sitting next to her looking smug. "Con-congratulations. I suppose you can keep your pride as a - a man." she broke down into giggles again, and he sighed.

"You can't even say it with a straight face," he grumbled, and she brought up her knees to bury her face into them.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I know you're dying to tell me how you did it. Go on, I'm listening." She sniffled and turned her face towards him, wiping at her eyes.

"Exploding tags on kunai. When Naruto attacked us, we threw them. He thought we were throwing them at him and dodged. But it was a cover - we were really aiming for the spot between your teams and the pole. Not close enough to hurt you, but close enough to incapacitate you long enough for us to get there first."

Nariko tilted her head at him and smiled as Naruto made dramatic noises.

"Smart," she said.

"Yes. I now see what all the fuss is about your clan," Shino said, and Nariko glanced at him, then giggled a little, forcing herself to stop when his kikaichu buzzed in agitation.

"Next time, we'll definitely beat you! Believe it!" Naruto finally said, pointing at Shikamaru, who slumped over, probably finding the prospect of Naruto deciding he needed a rematch a bother.

Sakura sighed and stood, and Nariko saw her glance uneasily at Sasuke, who had stalked over to lean up against a tree. Ino was shooting the girl smug looks over her team's victory, which she was doing her best to ignore. Nariko studied Sasuke, and bit her lip. It's true he was a jerk, but after what he'd just found out, could she blame him for being angry? After a moment of hesitation she decided she'd give a peace offering in the form of an invitation to spar and stood, then walked over to Sasuke, ignoring Shikamaru's questioning look.

"Hey, you're really fast, maybe we can -"

"Do you really care so little about your father's death?" He snapped, and her eyes widened as she took a step back. His face had twisted, and his hands were fisted at his sides. "He was  _murdered,_ by a leader of our village, while our Hokage looked on. And - and here you are, laughing like it didn't happen. You aren't even angry - did you love him at all?"

The air left Nariko's lungs, and she wrapped an arm around her stomach and hunched in on herself.  _Ouch._ She heard voices yelling at Sasuke, including the sharp note of Kurenai's scolding and Naruto's loud exclamations. Shikamaru had stalked up next to her.

"Just because -" he started, but she cut him off, meeting Sasuke's gaze as her own temper flared.

"Of course I'm angry," she snapped. Around her, everybody stopped talking, and she stomped forward until she was only a few inches from Sasuke's face, and pointed her finger at it, making him twitch. "How  _dare_ you! How dare you use my pain to try and validate your own horrible behavior." She looked down at her feet and took a few deep breaths, shaking somebody's hand off her shoulder when it landed there before looking back up at Sasuke, meeting his gaze defiantly.

"Of  _course_ I'm angry," she repeated in a calmer tone. "I wake up sometimes, and I'm so full of - of rage and hate and - and - disbelief that the people that are supposed to protect us allowed a monster to kill my clan, my father,  _your_ clan. And all I can  _think_ about it how much I want to rip apart everything they've ever loved, so that they can understand just what it is that they've done. And yes, in my worst moments, I fantasize about pulling this whole village to the ground and then burning the rubble. I am beyond angry, Sasuke. I am...I hate so much sometimes that I can't see anything else."

Sasuke's eyes had widened, and his face had relaxed into shock. She gave a small, humorless smile. "Yes, I know exactly how you feel. But then, I remember. I remember that I don't want to become the thing that I hate so much. I don't want to be like D-Danzo, mowing people down and destroying lives because of my own darkness." She looked away, ashamed. "It's not - I don't even remember the most important reason why I shouldn't give into the hatred until I remind myself of that, which I guess says a lot about me, huh?"

Nariko forced herself to meet his gaze, shaking suddenly with the truth of what she was saying. "After that I remember that I have people I love and respect here, Sasuke. Good people who were horrified and upset by what he had done. Even though they knew how dangerous it was, they helped me to take him down after my father died trying. If I were to try to destroy the village, go on a rampage, give into my hate, I'd be hurting the good people along with the bad. I'd be spitting on the memories of our families." He flinched, but she didn't stop.

"The difference between you and I, Sasuke," she said, finally stepping back and releasing his gaze as she turned back towards her team, "is that I've focused my hatred. I've turned it into a tool. I'm going to use everything at my disposal to destroy the people who threaten my village or move against the people in it, no matter who they are. And I'm not going to do it alone, because I'm not stupid or arrogant enough to think I can. You're just an angry little boy lashing out at the people around you. Maybe you should grow up, and remember that you're not alone, either, and that the only thing you're doing is becoming exactly like the people who hurt you."

She paused as Hinata and Shino moved to flank her, then looked over her shoulder. "Also, if you ever say I didn't love my father again, I won't hold back."

She stomped away, ignoring the gaping faces staring at her and the tears that had sprung into her eyes. A few minutes later, she arrived at the Inuzuka compound, and she released a breath and relaxed her shoulders. She knew that her team and Shikamaru had followed her - Naruto had probably stayed behind to beat up his teammate and then cry all over him. Ashamed, she kept her eyes on the ground and waited for them to say something. She had, after all, just admitted to quite a lot of people that she sometimes fantasized about destroying their home and spitting on the ashes.

"Well," Shikamaru finally said. "Bet he wasn't expecting that."

Hinata giggled, Suoh chuffed and even Shino chuckled. Nariko lifted her head to stare at them in shock as they snickered. They all still looked ridiculous from their scavenger hunt, and after a moment she found herself joining in. When they calmed down, she finally spoke.

"You aren't - you aren't mad?"

"Sure," Shikamaru said. "I kind of want to use the Shadow Neck Binding Technique on him," he said, then sighed at their blank looks. "That basically means I want to break his neck, and wow, that makes me sound kind of like a crazy person when I say it that way."

Nariko smiled a little. "Well, no more crazy than I sounded. You guys know that I wouldn't actually - that I would never -"

"We know," Shino said. "It is normal to be angry. Why? Because many people in this village have let yourself and your clan down."

Hinata nodded once. "It wasn't even my clan that was targeted, and my father still lost his temper. If it weren't for Tsume and Shikaku, I think he would have attacked the Sandaime that day," she said softly. "And I - I heard him talking a council member out of putting together a motion to leave the village for our clan council," she whispered. "Because they were worried that if something like that could happen to the Uchiha and the Inuzuka, that it could happen to the Hyuuga. I think if somebody other than Shikaku-sama had been made Hokage - I mean, if one of Sarutobi-sama's students or their students had gotten the hat...I heard father say it would have been bad. There are a lot of angry people right now, Nariko, not just you."

"I shouldn't have been so mean to Sasuke," Nariko said suddenly. "He just found out something awful -"

"And that's no excuse for treating other people the way he has. Everybody always caters to him. And yes, it's awful what happened to him, but letting him act that way is not doing him any favors," Shikamaru said bluntly. Nariko blinked at him and took in his fisted hands and tense posture. He was really, really angry on her behalf.

"Shikamaru," she said, then leaned forward and put her forehead on his shoulder. "Thank you," she said. "All of you." Her mouth quirked up when she heard familiar footsteps and someone calling her name.

She stood just in time to brace herself for a blonde whirlwind, though he still ended up knocking them both to the ground along with Shikamaru who hadn't gotten out of the way in time. Nariko smiled up at the sky for a moment as Naruto immediately began apologizing. Then, she hooked her foot around his, flipped him over, and shoved his face into the dirt as he let out a wail of protest, the pink string in his hair sticking uncomfortably against her hand.

"What was that?" She singsonged as he flailed and demanded that she let him up. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you, Naruto-kun."

"So mean!" he mumbled into the dirt, and she grinned. Sure, there was a darkness in her that hadn't been there before, but she wasn't worried about giving into it. Not with friends like hers.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikaku is planning something, and our favorite team makes it through the first exam after causing a bit of a stink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray, an update! :D

Suoh watched his partner sleep from his spot on the end of her bed, the rise and fall of her chest offering him comfort. He had thought that he'd lived through the worst part of his life when Nikko became ill and then died. That nothing could ever compare to the feeling of helpless rage he'd lived through then.

Then he'd burst out of the trees to the sight of Nariko with a knife to her throat, covered in blood and smelling of pain, and he'd realized that the term  _worst time of my life_ was subjective. He shuddered and rested his head on his paws, watching the way the moonlight played across Nariko's face.

She looked younger like that, sleep-relaxed and warm, none of the worries that had been pressing down on her showing on her face. If he cleared his mind he could almost pretend that she was eight again, her biggest worries revolving around unkind classmates and whether Tsume would buy her some of that yarn that had just come in to her favorite merchant.

She twitched in her sleep, and her scent soured, the way it did almost every night. Suoh lifted his body a few inches and shuffled up next to her, sticking his nose into the curve of her neck - something that always made her laugh and squeal and shove the cold appendage away. Her eyes flew open, and for a moment she just stared at the wall, getting her bearings.

Then her expression cleared, and she wrinkled her nose. "Gross, Suoh," she grumbled, but her lips gave a halfhearted twitch as she pushed his face away.

He huffed in as much affront as possible. "Is that any way to talk to your partner?" he grumbled, and she giggled. A moment later she had turned fully towards him and buried her face in his neck, hands clinging to him.

He nuzzled his cheek against her hair and they sat there for awhile, Suoh letting her draw comfort from their closeness. She didn't cry, but he thought that might just be due to her being all cried out.

"This is so hard," she finally said, and he made a comforting rumbling noise in his chest. She didn't fall back asleep until the sky started to lighten, and he breathed a deep sigh. Another day where she would be tired, and trying to hide all of her sorrow behind her usual cheer.

Tsume came in to wake Nariko for their morning training but Suoh lifted his head and gave it a little shake. The clan head's face softened, and she backed out of the room, understanding that Nariko needed the extra hour of sleep more than she needed to train.

An hour later the smell of breakfast woke Suoh from a doze, and he heard the unmistakable sounds of Akemi and Taka invading their kitchen. Nariko was already stirring, so he detangled himself from her grip and leapt to the floor, stretching forward to loosen his muscles and letting out a large yawn.

"Oh, no," Nariko said behind him, bedclothes rustling as she sat up.

"Tsume looked in earlier and said she couldn't do your training, so I let you sleep," Suoh lied shamelessly. If he told her he and Tsume had decided she needed to rest, she'd get that stubborn, annoying look in her eye that preceded her trying to act as normal as possible so as not to worry the people around her.

"Oh. Okay, then," Nariko said. "Smells like Akemi is here."

"Yeah, him and that annoying little pup," Suoh grumbled. Nariko laughed, which had been his aim, so he allowed himself to feel a little smug. Cheering up his partner was his job, after all.

Suoh sat patiently as Nariko wandered over to her dresser and pulled out fresh clothes. She pulled on her pants, mesh shirt, and tank top, then opened her bedroom door and slipped into the hall.

Suoh rubbed his head against her hip as she turned towards the bathroom, then left her to finish getting ready in favor of trotting into the kitchen. He and Taka did their usual greeting - that is, Taka bounced around him excitedly before it became too much for the little dog and she pounced on him.

He ignored her up until that point, and then he simply twisted his body so that she missed and fell over, and held one large paw lightly on her side so that she couldn't stand. He ignored her whining and barks and wiggles as she tried to escape, face bored. Finally she flopped over, panting and pitiful, and he let her go.

Cheerful once again she followed in his wake as he made his way over to his breakfast, Tsume reaching out with one hand to pat his back in greeting as he passed her before she went back to reading the paper and eating her omelet. Nariko entered the kitchen a few minutes later, hair pulled back into a ponytail that only reached the nape of her neck.

She'd admitted to him that she kind of liked how easy it was to deal with now that there was less of it. She'd said it like it was a confession, something to be ashamed of, and Suoh had wished again that Danzo was alive so he could rip out his throat. That was a very popular fantasy that he had at least twice a day.

Suoh let himself out into the back yard as Nariko sat down to eat, nosing the door open and snorting to himself as the sounds of Akemi fussing over Nariko reached his ears. At least his Nariko wasn't alone - she had a good pack supporting her. The wind shifted, and he picked up a familiar scent coming from the direction of the road.

Suoh trotted around the house and over to Shikamaru, who looked as miserable as he always did in the mornings.

"Hey, Suoh," he said around a yawn.

"Shikamaru," he greeted. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "Looks like we're doing another joint training session. I thought I'd walk with Nariko. How is she?" He had stopped to lean against the fence in the front yard, and Suoh sat next to him.

"She's dealing." That was all any of them could do, really.

When Nariko came out of the house a few minutes later, she caught sight of Shikamaru and her face lit up in a small smile. She bounded down the steps and jogged over to stop in front of them.

"Shikamaru, hey!" she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Our teams are working together again today," Shikamaru said. "I thought we could walk together."

Nariko's smile became strained - Suoh was sure she was thinking about her confrontation with Sasuke the day before, but she just nodded. Shikamaru frowned and reached out with one hand, brushing his thumb lightly against the dark circle under one of Nariko's eyes.

She just shrugged, then grabbed his hand, using it to pull him back towards the path into Konoha. Suoh and Shikamaru exchanged a look that said  _we know she's not okay, but we'll let her pretend for now,_ and let her lead the way.

000

Sasuke glared at the Inuzuka girl from where he was leaning against a fence post. She was perched up on a branch, feet kicking as she leaned over and tossed a twig at Shino, voice low and teasing as he looked up at her. Hinata was looking between them with a tiny smile on her face, and Ino, Sakura and Chouji were sitting at the base of the same tree.

Naruto had climbed higher into the branches and was taunting Nariko, and Sasuke couldn't help but sneer at how...domestic it all looked. As though they couldn't all see the shadows under her eyes or the way her smile faltered at random times. He didn't understand how they could all just  _pretend._

Did they think that if they smiled it meant her father wasn't dead, she hadn't been tortured, that the people who ran their village hadn't been systematically killing its shinobi for  _years?_ He gritted his teeth as rage flared. Nariko had scolded him yesterday, acted like he was the one doing something wrong. How was it wrong to want revenge for what happened to his clan?

She had pretended to understand his pain, like they shared something, but she could never understand. She'd lost one person to Danzo, true, but Sasuke had lost his whole family, his whole  _clan._ What wouldn't he give to be in Nariko's position, to have lost only a father?

"Hey," Shikamaru said from next to him. Sasuke glanced over, having noticed the boy approaching but been unconcerned about it.

"What," he said, voice flat.

Shikamaru sighed and looked up at the sky. "I just wanted to let you know. What happened yesterday - if you say something like that again to Nariko, nobody will find your body once I'm done with you."

Sasuke snorted. Like he needed to worry about the boy who slept and watched clouds more than he trained.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru said, and something in his voice made him look over. He tensed at the look in the other boy's eyes - they were cold and hard, and there wasn't an inch of give in the way he was holding himself, despite the fact that he was slouching and his hands were in his pockets. He looked...dangerous.

"I know you think I'm not a threat, but don't underestimate me. In the past twelve hours alone, I've come up with three different scenarios in which I kill you before you even know I'm there. I calculate a ninety percent chance that they'd work." Sasuke resisted the urge to lean away from the other boy, because Shikamaru seemed...completely serious. He actually believed that he was capable of it, and Sasuke...Sasuke was halfway convinced himself.

_So this is why his father is the Hokage. I won't underestimate him again._

"Whatever," Sasuke said, but they both knew he was agreeing, that he had acknowledged that Shikamaru was, indeed, a real threat. He nodded, then wandered over to the tree, standing below Nariko and looking up at her.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow when she dropped off the branch and tackled him, sending the Nara to the ground and laughing out loud as he just splayed his limbs and grumbled, not bothering to retaliate.

Then their senseis appeared, and they spent the rest of the day playing capture the flag. He'd been shuffled onto a team with Shino and Ino. The Aburame was useful, but Ino spent the whole time trying to get his attention. In the end, the team comprised of Shikamaru, Nariko, and Sakura won. It was...annoying. Sasuke wasn't used to not winning, but Nara Shikamaru had led his teams to victory against him twice in as many days now.

It made him wonder what kind of man Nara Shikaku was. Sasuke had, after some thought, dismissed his offer to take him on as an apprentice. Sure, he had been the jounin commander, so he was probably strong, but Sasuke was pretty sure the council had made him Hokage because they were desperate.

After finding himself caught in a clever trap by his son during their game of capture the flag, though, he wasn't so sure. Shikamaru hadn't even broken a  _sweat,_ had, according to Sakura, spent half their set up time napping and complaining, only rousing when Nariko had prodded him with a foot and asked him to make a plan. It was infuriating, the fact that he kept being beaten by somebody so...unassuming.

After their training session was over, he and Shikamaru were the only ones not surprised when their senseis told them they'd nominated them for the chunin exams. Sasuke was going to hold to his end of the bargain. He was going to compete in the exams - and then he was going to go find his brother.

000

Tsume waved goodbye to Akemi and Taka as they scampered out the back door, having cleaned up the kitchen before heading out for class. She rubbed a hand down her face, exhaustion pulling at her.

She had been busy since Danzo's trial, dealing with the fallout of everything along with keeping up with her duties as clan head. The village had been in upheaval, her clan had been in upheaval, and when she did get a chance to sleep, it was lightly. Tsume was on constant alert, the feeling of failure weighing heavily on her.

She had failed her clan when she didn't see Danzo for the threat he was before he'd attacked them. She had failed her son when she couldn't find a way to cure him when he got sick. She had failed her brother when he saw the danger where she didn't, and went off on his own like a damn fool. Then she had failed Nariko, allowing herself to be distracted when she needed her the most.

Tsume was tired, and she was heartsick, and she  _couldn't sleep._ So instead, she worked. From his place at her feet, Kuromaru sent her a concerned look but didn't say anything. He wasn't doing much better, really - she wasn't the only one who lost a brother, and he loved Nariko just as fiercely as she did, had loved Kiba just as much as she had. This whole situation was mixing old pains with new ones and it was...difficult.

The back door opened, and Tsume didn't bother looking up - she'd recognized the beat of his heart.

"I'm too tired ta make you tea," she grumbled. "If ya want some, make it yourself."

A hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed, thumb digging into a knot in her shoulder and making her lean her head forward. His other hand joined, and she closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax into the massage.

"You are working yourself too hard," his low, clipped voice said, and she snorted.

"Can't sleep," she admitted, because she'd stopped being able to hide things from him when they were about fifteen. He had been the first to find out that she was pregnant with Hana, and the only person who knew who her father was, other than the man himself. He had beaten the man into the ground after she told him the whole story of why she was going to be a single mother.

A small sigh. "You need to take care of yourself. You can't protect your clan if you're ill," he scolded lightly, and she grunted, too tired to argue. She lifted her head when his hands slid away, and watched as he crossed the kitchen, taking down two mugs and filling the teapot with water.

Her eyes lingered on his broad shoulders and slim waist, his strong bearing looking like it would never bend or break under pressure. Silently, she stood and crossed to him, leaning forward and placing her forehead between his shoulder blades. He paused in his motions, going still, not even breathing.

"I don't know if I can do this," she admitted. Tsume closed her eyes, ashamed of even thinking it, let alone saying it out loud. She'd made it through a war, through being a single mother and active kunoichi and head of her clan, through the deaths of a quarter of her clan, of her son. And now her brother was dead, his daughter heartbroken, and her village was tearing itself apart. Tsume was just so goddamn  _tired._

Hiashi turned, and she found herself pulled into an embrace, face in his shoulder as she breathed in his familiar scent. "You don't have to do it alone," he soothed. "I'll help you."

She pressed forward. She didn't cry - probably wouldn't - but she did take a few deep, shuddering breaths, letting his words fall over her. When she looked up, his pupil less eyes were staring down at her, and the look on his face...

"So, are we doing this, then?" She asked. The time had never been right before - Hiashi had loved his wife, and then been consumed with her death and his clan for a long time. Tsume had then been reeling over the death of Kiba and her clan members. But it had been there, this thing, waiting for them to be ready.

"If you wish," he finally said, and her lip quirked up on the side. When he kissed her, it was surprisingly gentle.

Tsume enjoyed it for a moment, memorizing his taste, and then she took his lower lip between her teeth and bit down, just shy of drawing blood. She may be feeling a little broken right now, but  _gentle_ was never something she'd needed from her partners. Hiashi took the the hint, tugging her against him with a firm hand and deepening the kiss.

She pulled back after a moment and gave him a sharp grin. "Let's take this to the bedroom," she said. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't argue.

Afterwards, she slept, his voice whispering in her ear that he would keep watch the last thing she heard. It was enough to get her instincts to calm, to let her sleep. Hiashi, she knew, could be trusted to watch over her territory.

When she opened her eyes, he was sitting up in bed, only covered by the sheet across his lap, and her eyes wandered over his bare chest. Most of his scars she could match to a mission or battle they had been in together. She stretched languidly, and leaned into his hand when he ran it through her short hair.

"Well, that answers that question," she said, smile going wicked. He sighed a little, obviously knowing what was coming.

"I always wondered if you'd be as prissy in bed as you are in everything else. Guess it's the one place you really let loose, huh?" He sent her an unimpressed look and she laughed obnoxiously, in just the way she knew made his eyebrow tick.

She'd never admit it out loud, but she thought it was damn cute when he got worked up. "Hey, I'm not complaining. Anytime you need to let off some steam, you just let me know," she said.

Hiashi rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide his small smile. She moved a hand to his bare thigh under the sheet, running up and down the soft skin stretched over hard muscle and waggling her eyebrows at him. She was feeling much better after some very satisfying stress relief and uninterrupted sleep, and it must have shown, because for just a moment he looked relieved.

Then, he carefully marked his place in his book before setting it on the bedside table. When he grabbed the hand on his thigh and pulled it above her head, rolling his body over hers, she grinned up at him.

"Alright, then," she said, and tugged him down for a kiss with her other hand.

000

Sakura waved goodbye to Naruto and Sasuke as they parted ways, having given into the inevitable and gone out for ramen. Sasuke had been less enraged and more focused than he had been the past weeks.

Sakura wasn't sure what to do about Sasuke. After their mission to Wave, things had been...better. Not perfect, but they'd started to gel as a team, feel like a real unit, almost as though they were friends. Then had come that awful trial, and...things had changed.

Sasuke had been even more angry and bitter than when they first became a team. Before she'd known him, known what he could be like when he wasn't concentrating on revenge or getting stronger, she thought he was dreamy when he brooded and cool when he snapped at people.

Now that she knew the real Sasuke, seeing him like this was awful. The worst part was, she couldn't do anything about it. She was trying to grow stronger, to be somebody who could walk alongside the boys, but she just felt...useless. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help him or Naruto with the horrible situations fate had put them in.

Even Naruto seemed lost, unsure how to get Sasuke to come back to them. Kakashi-sensei was just as he always was, though he'd been spending more time with them. She stared down at the paperwork in her hand. She took a deep breath, and let determination wash over her. She would compete with her team, she would do her part, and they would all become chunin, then they could grow stronger together.

Sakura was cutting through a street on the way home that was always quiet after eight due to the fact that it was mostly civilians well past their sixties that lived there. She breathed in the cool night air, enjoying the way it filled her lungs, relaxing into the silence after so much stress.

She wasn't expecting it when a man materialized next to her, hands in his pockets. One moment she was alone, and the next he was just there. She was a little proud of herself when, instead of screaming or flailing uselessly, she jumped back and pulled a kunai out of her pouch.

Then, she blinked rapidly a few times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Nope, he was still standing there, looking a little amused at the tiny genin threatening him with a kunai. She straightened and put it back in her pouch.

"H-hokage-sama!" she squeaked, then cleared her throat and bowed. "Um. Hello."

"Hello, Sakura-chan," he said. "You should be more aware of your surroundings."

"A-aa," she said, pretty sure he was teasing her and surprised that he knew her name. It was strange - she'd never thought of Shikamaru as particularly intimidating, but seeing what he might someday grow into - this formidable, scarred man with sharp eyes, she wondered if maybe she should step more lightly around the lazy boy.

"Come on, I'll walk you home," he offered. Sakura's brow furrowed, and she looked over at the other man who was standing a few feet away. Shikaku's guard, probably.

"I - okay," she said, smart enough to know that there was probably a reason the leader of their village had appeared before her in an empty street, though she had no idea what it could be.

"So, Sakura-chan, are you going to compete in the exams, then?" he asked, tilting his head towards the paper she'd dropped when he startled her. Her eyes widened and she swiped it from the ground, squinting her eyes in the dim lamplight to check for smudges or tears.

"Yes," she said. "I - I'd like to support my teammates."

"Hmm," Shikaku said, and they fell into step together. She tried and failed to ignore the shinobi trailing them. "And what do you mean by that?"

Sakura hesitated, glancing over at him. "I mean...that things have been very hard recently, and I've felt - I've felt so useless! Sasuke's whole family was...and seeing people be so mean to Naruto for something he can't even control. I just want to be there for them, no matter what!" To her surprise, she was breathing a little hard at the end of her speech, and her cheeks turned bright red when she realized that she'd just vented at the Hokage. He must think her so immature and annoying...

"That's very noble, Sakura-chan. Your teammates are lucky to have you," he said, and she gaped at him. "I think, things may get worse before they get better. You'll have to be very strong to get through it, especially if you intend to let your friends lean on you for support."

"I won't let them down," she said, voice quiet but firm in a way that surprised her.

Shikaku tilted his head to the side and studied her. It was an uncomfortable feeling, being under his regard, and she couldn't help but fidget with the edge of her dress where it split up the side. Finally, he nodded, once, as though he'd just confirmed something he'd already guessed to be truth.

"I wonder, Sakura, if you might do me a favor."

Sakura stared up at him. "M-me?"

"Well, you're best suited for it, since it involves the safety of your team." Sakura straightened, alarm moving through her.

"What do you mean? Are they in trouble? What -"

"Yare, yare, calm down," he said, and Sakura had the very odd and dangerous urge to punch her Hokage in the face when he stopped in his explanation to yawn. From the amused tilt to his lips, he probably knew what she was thinking.

"Have a seat," Shikaku said, motioning to a bench at the side of the road. "Let Genma and I explain what we need you to do."

000

"Do you think we should do it?" Hinata asked. They were slowly walking towards the Aburame compound, where Shino was due home in about ten minutes.

Nariko shrugged. "I mean...it could be exciting? Kurenai-sensei says that it's a good way to see where our strengths and weaknesses are at as a team."

"What if...what if some of us become chunin and some of us don't?" Hinata said, and Shino and Nariko exchanged looks over her head.

"That will not happen. Why? Because if one of us doesn't make it through a part of the test, the others will forfeit as well," Shino said.

"I don't think you can get through the first few parts except for as a team," Suoh offered. "Unless the exams have changed very much since Nikko and I did them."

Nikko had just made chunin when he got sick - had barely returned from the village from where he'd taken the tests, in fact. They were all silent as they took that in - Suoh didn't speak about Nikko much, but lately he'd seemed more open. Nariko hoped it meant that the wound in his heart was finally healing. Maybe the whole mess with Danzo had given him some closure.

"T-then we should do it," Hinata said.

"I agree," Shino added, and they both turned to Nariko, who gave a small smile.

"Aa. And we should...have fun with it, right? I mean, Kurenai was really clear that we probably wouldn't make chunin."

Suoh chuffed out a laugh. "You know Shikaku-sama won't be happy if you create more work for him," he said, and both Hinata and Nariko giggled. It had been awhile since their team had caused Shikaku any problems - they'd need to do something about that.

Nariko and Suoh entered her house twenty minutes later, and she frowned at how quiet it was. "Hello? Hana? Tsume-obasan?"

She removed her shoes and followed Suoh deeper into the house, who had stopped in the kitchen door. Nariko's eyes widened when she saw that his body was shaking, and her breath caught in her throat.

"Suoh, what is it?" she whispered, creeping up next to and around him. The kitchen was completely empty, though there were two tea cups set out on the counter. She glanced at his face, and saw that he was shaking because he was laughing.

"Suoh! What is so funny?"

"Use your nose," he said. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, she breathed in deeply - and immediately turned bright red.

"Oh kami," she said in a strangled voice, and stumbled out of the kitchen. "That is - that's -"

"Riko-chan, you home?" Her aunt called from the direction of her bedroom, and Nariko made a high pitched whining sound as she realized she could hear  _two_ heartbeats now that Tsume had opened her bedroom door. The second one was not as familiar as Tsume's but still recognizable.

"No," she said in response to the whole situation, drawing out the word pitifully.

Tsume turned the corner, and Nariko stared at her messy hair. When Hiashi appeared behind her, looking as put together as always but reeking of her aunt in the way somebody did only after sex, she slapped a hand over her nose.

Tsume cackled. "Come on, girly, don't tell me I have to explain the birds and the bees to you." Hiashi looked just as horrified as Nariko felt, and she shook her head back and forth. Hana had beat her aunt to that by about two years, thank you very much.

"Oh, well, your loss," Tsume said happily. "Oh, don't make that face. Soon it'll be you and that lazy boyfriend of yours walking around smelling like you took a bath in each other's -"

Nariko had never considered herself a coward before, but she didn't have to think twice about it. She turned on her heel and ran, hoping that Akemi and his mother and aunt would be willing to feed her and Suoh that evening. If not, she'd beg the Aburames to take her in for the night. She'd ask Hinata, but Nariko was pretty sure she'd turn as red as a tomato if she ran into the girl's father.

Nariko had known it before, but the facts had been firmly driven home in the last ten minutes. Her family was ridiculous.

000

Hinata and Shino stayed over at her house the night before the exams. When they asked Tsume if they could raid the supplies she kept for 'friendly spars,' her aunt had thrown back her head and laughed. Nariko's lips had quirked up at the show of good humor - she knew Tsume had been having a rough time, too. As much as it made her grimace to think about, Hiashi seemed to make her aunt...happy.

Nariko had choked out the story to Hinata and Shino the morning following her horrible realization, and they had been properly appalled by the thought of any of their parents having sex. Though Hinata had wistfully said that it was too bad they'd never marry and make her and Nariko sisters, since neither would give up the clan head position for awhile. Plus, Tsume would kill the Hyuuga elders within a week. Hinata didn't say that last part out loud, but they were all thinking it.

So, Tsume had unlocked a large drawer in her study and clapped them on the shoulders as they stared into it, stunned. "Anything you wanna use, it's on me. Man, this will be  _hilarious,_ I cannot wait to see your dad's face if you succeed in distracting your opponent with itching powder," she said to Hinata, who twitched at the thought.

Tsume had a reputation for using what she called 'underhanded and hilarious' methods when sparring with people she didn't like. Itching powder, stink bombs - apparently she'd once let somebody land a hit, covered herself with fake blood, and pretended to be dead. When the poor guy started panicking she'd used the chance to knock him out.

Hinata was jittery as they prepared, nerves making her stutter more than usual. "Hinata," Shino finally said. "It is fine if we do not pass this time."

"I - I know," she said, setting her hands in her lap and staring down at them. "It is just...m-my cousin N-neji will also be competing."

Nariko let out a breath of air. "Well, he's a jerk, sure, but that doesn't mean..."

"He will try to hurt me," she said, voice low. "And he's stronger."

Suoh let out a low, rumbling growl, and Nariko narrowed her eyes. Shino had gone very still, but his kikaichu buzzed under his coat. "Well," Nariko finally said, "I doubt he's strong enough to take on all four of us at once. And if he attacks you, he attacks all of us."

Hinata blinked at them, and then gave a small smile and a tentative nod. "Mm," she agreed.

"Also, I would not disregard your strength so easily," Shino said, "Because you have grown a lot the past few months."

Nariko grinned and Suoh nudged her side with his head. "That's right! So stop your worrying, hmm?"

The next morning they made their way to the Academy with their paperwork, nerves making them all twitchy. "Alright, we need to go to the third floor," Nariko said in a low voice as they entered the building.

They quietly made their way to the stairs, alert and ready for anything. Biro had stopped by the night before. "Now, I don't know much about these tests in general, but I know shinobi. You keep your eyes open - I doubt all of the tests will be straightforward. The moment you step out of this house tomorrow, be ready."

He had seemed nervous, and Nariko had realized that he was worried about them. Hinata had noticed, too, because she just patted him on the hand and told him they'd be careful. Biro was, without a doubt, a very strange man, but Nariko decided she liked him anyway.

They all stopped and stared at the spectacle in front of them when they reached the second floor. Two genin were standing in front of a door labeled with the room number they were looking for, and they weren't letting any of the genin crowded around it in.

Hinata quietly activated her Byakugan, then let it go just as quickly. They'd come up with a small hand sign to let eachother know when they were in an illusion - something that was a must when trying to get through an exercise set up by Kurenai-sensei. They all exchanged looks before shrugging and making their way around the gathered genin to the stairs.

Suoh got a few side-eyes, but for the most part they were ignored in favor of the drama unfolding in front of the door. They crept about halfway up the stairs until they were hidden behind the curve of the wall before Hinata stopped them.

"U-um. I was thinking..." she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, brown ball with a long fuse sticking out of it.

Nariko slapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from giggling. It had come from Tsume's drawer - something bought at a civilian gift shop of all things. "I mean, I feel kinda bad for all of the genin down there," Nariko whispered. "We should probably give them a clue, hm?" Suoh huffed out a laugh and sat down, lolling his tongue out to the side the way he always did when he was in a goofy mood.

"I agree," Shino said, and Nariko saw he was lighting a match. The sounds of struggle and yelling increased below as he lit the wick, and Nariko clapped silently when some of his kikaichu flooded out from his sleeve and surrounded the now-lit stink bomb and lifted it into the air and around the bend in the stairs.

They looked at eachother, then turned and dashed the rest of the way up the stairs, doing their best to hold in laughter and look as innocent as possible despite their breathlessness as they passed Kakashi-sensei in the hallway. He gave them a suspicious look over his book, and Nariko smiled sweetly at him.

Kurenai appeared before them just as the sounds of screams reached their ears. She frowned and turned towards the stairs. "What in the world -"

"Okay, well, we're gonna go in now," Nariko said, body shaking with suppressed laughter. "You need our paperwork?" They all shoved their papers at a bewildered Kurenai and dashed into the room behind her, then promptly collapsed into giggles. Well, Hinata, Suoh, and Nariko did, anyway. Shino's shoulders were moving slightly with his own laughter.

"Oh kami," Nariko whispered, covering her nose with one hand. "I can smell it from here. It's awful."

"We need to stop laughing, because everybody is looking at us," Shino said, and Nariko closed her eyes and breathed shallowy through her mouth. Deep breaths through her nose were out of the question with the smell of the stink bomb slowly spreading up the stairs, but she decided it was worth it.

"What did you do?" a voice drawled from next to her, and she turned and grinned at Shikamaru, leaning forward and kissing his cheek on impulse. He turned red, and there was some obnoxious whistles and jeering from the other genin in the room.

Now that Nariko looked around, she saw that there were a  _lot_ of genin in the room - probably around thirty - and a lot of them were much bigger and older than her team. She swallowed and wondered for a moment what in the world Kurenai had been thinking. A tug on her ponytail had her looking over at Shikamaru, who was now leaning against the wall looking as cool as usual, all traces of his blush gone.

She hid a smile behind her hand. "Eh, nothing, Kakashi-sensei just said something funny on our way in," she said lightly but loud enough for others to hear.

She turned a smile on him, and he returned it, though she was sure he wasn't buying her explanation. "You're in a good mood," he noted, and she leaned against him, letting the backs of their fingers brush together. Her heart leapt when he looped his pinky finger around hers, the motion hidden by their hands.

The door flew open, and six angry genin burst inside. "Who did that!" Naruto yelled, pointing at the room in general.

"Dear kami, what is that smell?" a burly boy asked, and a few people around them gagged.

Hinata was staring at the group, mouth gaped open in horror, and Nariko followed her gaze. A very angry, very smelly Neji was standing with an odd-looking boy in green and a pretty kunoichi whose hair was done up in two no-nonsense buns. A slow smile came over her face, and she turned away, meeting Shikamaru's eyes as she did so. He had one brow in the air and his lips were twitching, and she had to look down to keep from losing control and laughing.

She covered her nose with one hand, realizing she'd kind of stabbed herself in the foot with this plan - enhanced senses plus a stink bomb were not a good combination. Still, as she took in the scowl on Sasuke's face that rivalled Neji's, she couldn't muster up any regret.

"Seriously! Who did it?" Naruto yelled again, ignoring Sakura as the girl tugged on his arm and tried to shush him. When another Konoha genin stepped forward and told him to be quiet, Nariko turned her head into Shikamaru's shoulder, breathing in deeply.

"Hmm, smell a little intense for you?" his voice said above her, and she flapped her hand at him, then yelped when Suoh stuck his own nose into her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Ino, who had been trying to edge closer to Sasuke but apparently gave up when the smell became too much, asked from her other side.

"Fine," her voice was muffled against the fabric of Shikamaru's jacket. "Just, you know. It smells."

"I can't believe whoever did this!" Ino said, voice high. "Now we all have to sit through the first part of the exam with this horrible smell, and poor Sasuke-kun!"

Nariko giggled into Shikamaru's shoulder, and he sighed. Ino kept ranting.  _Kurenai was right, this is pretty interesting,_ Nariko thought to herself.

She was forced to lift her head when she heard the door down by the chalkboard open, and somebody new entered the room. A few of the genin had opened the windows, so the smell wasn't quite so bad. There was a wide circle around the six genin who had been caught in the stink bomb's radius.

A large, gruff man with multiple scars and a scowl on his face entered the classroom. "Welcome to the Chunin - dear kami, what is that  _smell?"_

Hinata let out a small giggle next to her, then slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. Luckily, she wasn't the only one who had laughed. Nariko was pinching her nose shut between her thumb and the knuckle of her pointer finger, and Suoh was still shoving his nose into her stomach.

Finally, after some yelling from the large man - whose name was Morino Ibiki - they took their seats. When Nariko finally looked at her test after the long speech he gave, she stared at the questions with dread. She had done okay in school, but she wasn't exactly academic at heart, and these questions were... _hard._

Across the room, Hinata was writing furiously, probably having used her Byakugan to cheat. After a few minutes, Shino also started writing, and she caught sight of a few of his kikaichu on his hand.

 _Crap,_ she thought to herself.  _I could maybe use Suoh..._

Her thoughts stuttered to a halt when her whole body froze, and her hand moved of its own accord to the first question and started scribbling down an answer. It took her only a moment to come to the conclusion that Shikamaru, who was sitting behind her and to the right, was the culprit. Her chest warmed as he filled out two answers - enough for her to pass, and then let her go.

In the end it didn't exactly end up mattering, but it was the thought that counted, really. Nariko had remained in her seat when Ibiki had given them the ultimatum of  _leave now and you can have another chance to become chunin. Stay and fail the last question and be genin forever_. She already knew that her team wouldn't give up, after all. Still, a lot of genin stood and left, making Nariko shift with nerves. Then Naruto stood and made a dramatic speech that had Nariko rolling her eyes fondly. Nobody else left, and the first test of the exam ended.

Nariko had never been so happy to step out into fresh air as when they left that classroom to follow the crazy proctor for the second exam.  _Still worth it,_ she thought, forcing back a giggle and a gag as she passed too close to a scowling Sasuke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're feeling a little worried that this will just be a reenactment of the original chunin exams, rest assured that there's about to be some serious canon divergence starting next chapter, and I'll probably just skim over the parts that don't change, because my attention span just is not that good, you guys. 
> 
> ALSO, Tsume and Hiashi finally did it, yay!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikaku is a badass and Team Eight has No Regrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Making up awesome jutsu for Shikaku is like, the best thing ever. Am now brainstorming other fics with Hokage!Shikaku, because this should be a thing that happens more. We should ALL BRAINSTORM AWESOME JUTSU FOR SHIKAKU. Who's with me? -waves banner-

"Do you think we should do it?" Nariko asked, looking down at the form in her hand doubtfully.

Risking their lives on a test that their sensei didn't expect them to pass didn't seem like the best idea to her. Hinata was chewing on her lower lip and Shino simply shrugged.

"I believe we will be fine. If we can get a scroll early on, then we can use stealth and avoidance to make it through the forest."

Nariko hummed. The trick would be getting a scroll without sustaining injuries. Her eyes moved around the assembled genin. Most of them were so much older than they were. Her lip quirked up when she spotted Team Seven and Neji's team standing by themselves on the edges, everyone giving them a wide berth.

Maybe she should feel bad for giving them a such a large disadvantage right before an exam. Then she remembered how shaken Hinata had been at the mention of her cousin's name, and what Sasuke had said to her after the scavenger hunt.

Well, it was too bad that their teams got caught up in the prank, but that's what being a team was about. Living eachother's victories and defeats. Nariko fought to hold down laughter at the thought.

"I will go to receive the scroll," Shino said, and something in his tone had Nariko eyeing him warily.

"Alright," she agreed, and they all signed the releases before Shino took them and turned to walk calmly towards the covered tent.

Shino disappeared into it and Nariko's eyes wandered over to Shikamaru. He was standing about thirty feet away next to Ino, who was talking rapidly in a low voice. Chouji must have been sent in for the scroll, then.

She gave him a little wave when he glanced at her, and he returned it. Ino bopped him on the head and told him to pay attention, making him cringe, and Nariko grinned while Suoh laughed next to her.

When Shino returned he pulled them to the edge of the crowd. They leaned in as he spoke in a low tone.

"We received an Earth scroll. I tagged all of the Heaven scrolls with my kikaichu."

Nariko blinked. "That's...really smart. Now we'll be sure to get one on our first try in the forest."

Shino's head tilted to the side. "They never said we had to wait until we got into the forest to steal another scroll," he said mildly.

Nariko and Hinata stared at him. Then, they exchanged looks and grinned.

A few minutes later Nariko and Suoh were casually weaving through the crowd towards Shikamaru. He looked over at her in interest, and she let her eyes widen in adoration and waved at him enthusiastically.

His brow furrowed at her admittedly strange behavior as she stepped to the side, eyes still on him, and promptly tripped over Suoh. She flailed before slamming into a brown haired boy that had been bragging earlier in a loud voice about all the other genin he was going to 'cut up' in the forest.

"Watch it!" he snarled, and pushed her backwards hard enough to send her sprawling.

"S-sorry!" she said, and he took a step towards her, face twisted in disgust.

"Pathetic. You won't make it out of the forest alive," he spat, and she scrambled backwards. Suoh stepped in front of her and bared his teeth and the genin faltered.

Shikamaru appeared at her side and helped her up, putting himself between her and the boy. He looked at the Nara clan symbol on Shikamaru's jacket and abruptly decided to go back over to his team. Having a kage for a father was certainly useful at times.

"You okay?" he asked, and she nodded, reaching down to dust off her jacket.

"Yeah, just clumsy." She smiled at him and let him herd her over to where Chouji and Ino were standing, Suoh next to her, tongue lolled out and prancing.

"You're ridiculous," she muttered to her partner, who tilted his head to the side and crossed his eyes, making her laugh.

"That guy was a total jerk," Ino fumed when they reached her. "It's not like you meant to run into him."

Nariko grinned. "Actually..." she whispered, and let the Earth scroll she'd swiped from the boy peak out of her sleeve. Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"What -"

"You guys got Heaven, too, right?" she asked. They were assuming that everybody who  _wasn't_ tagged with a kikaichu had a Heaven scroll.

Shikamaru nodded warily. "That's what we thought," Nariko said, and turned to glance at Hinata, who gave her a little thumbs up. Ah, so she had been successful in retrieving a scroll, too. Unfortunately Naruto's team had an Earth scroll, so they were on their own.

Nariko leaned forward and nuzzled against Shikamaru's cheek, slipping the scroll into his pouch as she did so.

"Be careful," she whispered, then took a step back and waved jauntily before heading back towards her own team.

When she glanced over her shoulder Shikamaru was standing where she had left him, eyes wide and cheeks red, while Ino rubbed her hands together and Chouji smiled at Nariko.

They had this round in the bag.

000

Sakura lay on the ground at the base of the tree, battered and terrified, staring at Sasuke's back. He was shaking, but he was still there, trying to shield her from the monster that had attacked them.

It had all just happened so  _fast_ once she figured out that their foe wasn't a simple genin. She reached a trembling hand down towards her pouch as Sasuke engaged with the man who had called himself Orochimaru.

He was laughing at Sasuke, taunting him and driving him into a rage. Sasuke was good, there was no doubt about that, but he couldn't keep up with such a strong ninja. He was going to get hurt really badly soon.

Her body was having trouble reacting to her commands, but she gritted her teeth and finally pushed her hand into the pouch. Across the clearing Orochimaru had slammed Sasuke into a tree, and he collapsed to his knees next to a still-unconscious Naruto.

Sakura staggered to her feet, ears ringing, and pulled out the kunai that Shikaku-sama had given her on the dark street three days ago.

"H-hey," she rasped. Orochimaru glanced at her and let out a creepy, hissing laugh.

"S-Sakura! Don't! Just - just run. It's me he wants," Sasuke was pushing himself to up, swaying in place.

"You think you're going to stop me with that?" Orochimaru said.

Sakura grinned, ignoring the way it made blood trickle at a faster rate from her split lip. "No, I'm not stupid enough to think I can beat you," she said, and fed a pulse of chakra into the kunai. Orochimaru's eyes widened as she said, "but he can."

Orochimaru was already moving towards her, only a blur of hair and robes to her eyes. Sasuke screamed her name and she stumbled back against the tree.

A long dark shape wrapped around Orochimaru's middle, picking him up and slamming him against a tree ten feet away with so much force that it cracked. At first Sakura thought it was another snake, but then she realized that it was a long thread of shadows.

She followed the shadow's progress as it retreated across the ground, and let out a breath of relief at the sight of Nara Shikaku. He was wearing the white Hokage robes open over his mesh shirt and jounin vest. He didn't have a hat on, and she wondered a little dazedly if it was because he didn't want to ruin his hair.

"Maa, Sakura-chan, it's embarrassing when you say things like that out loud," he said.

His guard, Genma, snorted from where he was standing to the right of and slightly behind him.

"But yes, that's exactly why he doesn't wear the hat," he said in a wry tone.

Sakura's eyes widened - she'd said that out loud.

"You did a good job, Sakura. Now leave it up to me," he said.

"Ah, the newest Hokage," Orochimaru said from where he was picking himself up off the ground, batting casually at the dirt on his robes as though nothing had happened. "They were really scraping the bottom of the barrel, hmm?"

Sakura blinked when Sasuke appeared next to her, staggering under the weight of Naruto.

"Jealous?" Shikaku asked, though his mild tone suggested he wasn't really interested in the answer.

Orochimaru's cheek twitched and Sakura felt absurdly proud that Shikaku had managed to annoy the creepy man.

"Are you okay?" she whispered to Sasuke, and he grunted.

"We need to get out of here," he said instead of answering, and she nodded.

She looked around, blinking rapidly to clear the blurriness in her vision. There - if they snuck around the trunk she was leaning against, there was a thick copse of dead and dying trees and branches that could cover their exit.

She motioned towards it and he nodded.

"You will not be able to keep Konoha safe. I will prove it today by killing the village's one hope of stability. And then I will take the boy," Orochimaru said. "Though I'm not sure how you knew I was here for him. I'm guessing Danzo left some paper trail somewhere.

"That man never could keep his nose out of other people's business. I suppose asking him for help infiltrating the village just before he was revealed as a traitor was simply bad luck."

Sakura exchanged looks with Sasuke. She really hoped that he wasn't right about being able to kill the Fifth Hokage. She kind of liked Shikaku-sama.

They began creeping around the tree and Shikaku snorted.

"Still as dramatic as ever, I see."

"I think the rambling helps him drown out his own internal angst," Genma said, accompanied by a click of senbon against teeth.

"I will show you why I should have been made Hokage when I grind you into dust," Orochimaru hissed, then, "and where do you think _you're_ going?"

Sakura flinched and spun around, gasping when he slammed a palm to the ground and two snakes that were at least twenty feet long appeared. They slithered across the ground and Sakura grabbed Sasuke's free hand as she took off, tugging him across the uneven terrain.

She couldn't help but wonder a little hysterically just how many snakes the man had. The snakes were gaining on them and she realized with a bit of despair that they weren't going to be able to outrun them.

Sasuke must have realize the same thing, because when she spun on her heel and drew a kunai, shaking in fear, he was right beside her. Naruto was still over one shoulder, which she knew would make it difficult for him to fight, so she stepped forward and slightly in front of him.

The snakes' eyes were red and beady, their scales a pearlescent white. She swallowed bile when she realized that they were _intelligent_.

Two long, sleekly furred shapes that were roughly the size of a large dog hit them from the side, and the ground shook as the snakes and animals tumbled across the ground. The animals that had attacked the snakes were making odd grunting noises as they held them down with large front feet.

Sakura's eyes widened as the animal closest to them opened its tiny pointed nose and sank its sharp teeth into the snake's scales. The snake's struggles slowed, then stopped.

"Ugh, I forgot about your ridiculous summons," Orochimaru said in a bored tone as the second snake followed the fate of its partner.

"I myself find the moles to be very effective. Good for information gathering. And paralyzing snakes," Shikaku said.

Sakura stared as the two large moles bounded over to them, tiny eyes studying the three genin in interest. Their long snouts were switching in their direction, heads cocked to the side.

"Hey, hey, Shikaku-sama, can we eat the snakes? Please?" one of them asked even as he stuck a nose against Sakura and started sniffing her clothes.

She let out a little screech and Sasuke glared at the other one, which was looking between the genin and the snakes as though torn.

"Lu, Lomin, now is not the time to eat," Shikaku said with a put upon sigh. "Deliver those three to my son, tell him I said it's his responsibility to make sure they get to the tower and pass this stage of the exams."

"But -!"

"Do it, or next time I'll summon your brothers."

The two moles dropped low to the ground into what could only be described as a pout.

"Fine," one of them said.

"I am not finished with them," Orochimaru gritted out, and Sakura peeked around the mole. The man's eyes were narrowed and his nostrils were flared.

"Sorry, Orochimaru, but your opponent is now me. I know you prefer the easy pickings, but I guess you'll just have to pick on somebody your own size this time."

Sakura glared at Shikaku, who was still standing next to an amused Genma. They were not  _easy pickings._

"Hm. We'll see about that," Orochimaru said.

The moles squeaked and scrambled towards the genin as he turned and ran towards them, arms held out behind him and face pulled into a sharp smile.

Sakura let out a small scream as one yelled, "Ready, Lomin?" and wrapped his body around her, tucking her under an arm.

The fur was softer than it looked and held an unpleasant musky odor. She forced herself not to fight against him, instead popping her head out from under his arm so she could see what was happening.

Shikaku had appeared in front of them, robes billowing around him. He looked...kind of cool, actually. He leaned to the side to avoid a punch from Orochimaru, then spun around and lashed out with a kick.

Orochimaru bent his body away and Sakura shivered at the unnatural way he was able to move, almost like he was a snake himself. Shikaku still looked faintly bored as they exchanged blows, dancing across the clearing.

It was barely four seconds after she'd been grabbed when the other mole said, "Ready, Lo!" over the sounds of Sasuke's cursing.

Sakura screamed as the mole holding her lurched forward. There was frantic rocking from side to side, dirt flying and hitting her in the face, making her sputter and blink the grit out of her eyes. Then they moved downwards, and the earth closed in around her, cutting off any further noises she might have made as they disappeared beneath the surface.

000

Shikaku let out a small sigh of relief as his summons escaped with the genin. One less thing to worry about. Now, he knew, the real battle would begin.

He leaned back to avoid a punch from an extended arm, then grabbed it in two hands and spun around, grimacing when it stretched more than it should. He placed his hip into the man's side to make up for the lost leverage, then slung him across the clearing.

Orochimaru rolled a few times before coming to a stop and Genma flashed to his side. Shikaku tilted his head when he noticed other chakra signatures coming in fast. They were the ANBU that he'd left behind when Genma grabbed him and flashed him to where Sakura had pushed chakra into his seal.

They appeared at his side as Orochimaru climbed to his feet. Even though they were masked and cloaked, Shikaku could tell they were miffed at being left behind. Ninja were a surprisingly sensitive lot. They'd pout for weeks over the orders he was about to give out, but he really didn't want them to stick around just to be fodder to Orochimaru's craziness.

"Genma. I want you and ANBU to hold the perimeter. Keep the genin in the forest a safe distance away." He held up a hand as Genma went to argue and the ANBU stiffened around him.

"I need you to do this. Please put your faith in me. I can handle one whining Sannin, and if I can't, I shouldn't be Hokage."

A pause, then, "Yes, Hokage-sama."

They disappeared and Orochimaru gave an airy laugh. "It's funny. You Nara are always so arrogant. But if there's one thing I discovered in the war...and in my experiments," he tacked on with a sharp smile, "it's that they die just as easily as anybody else."

Shikaku stilled, and for a few beats just let his rage move through him. He had known, of course, that his clan had probably not gotten away completely unscathed from Orochimaru's butchery. It was one thing to guess, however, and another to have your theory confirmed by the perpetrator.

When the icy calm came back to him he studied his opponent. Orochimaru was slippery, and had a reputation for disappearing when fights weren't going in his favor. Shikaku had calculated a forty percent chance that he would get away during their upcoming fight, and had been willing to let him go to ground. Then Shikaku would do what he did best - gather information, study the enemy, and take him down later before the man realized he needed to run.

Now, however, he was upset, the anger running through his veins pushing him to end this  _now._ He sighed and looked up at the sky.

"Maa, why did you have to say that? Now I'm going to have to put forth all my effort."

Orochimaru scoffed, but Shikaku was already slamming his hand on the ground. Two dozen moles the size of cats were blinking up at him a second later with squinting, beady eyes. A few were wringing their front paws and looking around nervously.

He'd never admit it out loud, but half the appeal of using the moles as summons was how adorable they were. The Nara clan may be cold-hearted strategists and assassins, but they had a major soft spot for cute little animals.

"I need you to set up a perimeter right behind my ANBU. This guy tries to get out, you put up a barrier, got it?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, and he raced through a few hand signs, apparently done taunting in the face of having his escape route removed. The moles squeaked in alarm, and dirt flew as their wide front feet blurred into action and they disappeared into their tunnels.

Shikaku was already moving, rolling to the side and coming up in a crouch, hands in front of him. The pool of shadows beneath his feet formed a circle around him, and the blades of wind Orochimaru had sent across the clearing bounced off of it harmlessly.

Shikaku pushed to his feet and sprinted around Orochimaru, who hadn't paused when his first attack failed, and a rush of water came at Shikaku. A few hand signs of his own and spires of rock shot out of the ground, covering him as he moved.

When he stepped into the large shadow of a tree, he twisted his body around and the shadows around him rose into blade-like shapes and rushed towards Orochimaru.

He leapt back and to the side, but the long, sharp ended shadows just followed him. Orochimaru jumped into the air, landing on a tree branch and then boomeranging to the other side of the clearing, sending shuriken at Shikaku as he did so.

A few of the shadows changed direction to lazily swipe them out of the air before they could reach him. Orochimaru landed, hands moving quickly, and Shikaku was forced to drop his own jutsu as a geyser of mud erupted from Orochimaru's mouth towards him.

He recognized the jutsu and knew that if he got caught in it, it would act as a sticky adhesive, slowing him down. A few hand signs and he sank into the ground.

He created a shadow clone and sent it off in the direction of Orochimaru. He then set off for a large tree after pulling up a perfect recall of the area in his mind. Chakra pulled in close to his core, he emerged into the air behind it.

"You think a shadow clone will fool me?" Orochimaru called out, and Shikaku rolled his eyes. Obviously not. He doubted they would fool any of the Third's students. He just needed it to keep Orochimaru busy.

He unrolled some ninja wire and attached it to a branch, then leapt to the next tree and repeated the process. In the background he heard himself say 'shadow bind technique,' and Orochimaru's annoyed hiss. A moment later he must have gotten free, if the way the earth shuddered beneath Shikaku's feet was any indication.

The memories from his clone came back to him just as he finished his task. He wrinkled his nose at the memory of dying by fire but shook it off in favor of returning to the clearing, which was now riddled with large columns of rock, swaths of ripped up dirt, and charred earth.

Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen. Shikaku yawned as he waited for the man to return. Not even a Legendary Sannin could get through his moles when they made a barrier. Not that he'd ever had the urge to catch one before, but still. They were mainly used for defense, capture, and as spies.

To his annoyance it wasn't Orochimaru who appeared before him first. He took in the man wearing all black battle gear, hitai-ate on prominent display on his head piece, long ends of the ties fluttering behind him.

"Sarutobi-sama. Aren't you supposed to be on house arrest?" The man shrugged and moved to stand next to him.

"I felt the chakra of one of my old students and thought you might need my assistance," he said gravely.

Shikaku glanced over at him. "You don't have a great track record when it comes to Orochimaru."

Hiruzen sighed, and Shikaku thought he'd never looked older than he did at that moment.

"I've made many mistakes in my foolish wish that those I loved were better than they are. It is my responsibility, not yours, to kill him."

"Some would say that as Hokage, it  _is_ my responsibility," Shikaku said in a bland tone.

There was a noise that sounded like somebody had hit a large gong, followed by the sounds of cursing and muffled squeaky laughter. To the east a wall of flickering blue light appeared for a few seconds before disappearing.

"Your moles, I presume?" Hiruzen said, lips turning up on one side. He always had been fond of the obnoxious little shits.

"Aa. Looks like Orochimaru just figured out he'll have to kill me before he can get out," Shikaku said.

"Something I'll be happy to do. Hello, sensei," a cold voice said, and Shikaku tipped his head back and to the right to take in a ruffled-looking Orochimaru.

"Hmm, so the snake wasn't able to go to ground. I wonder if you'll be showing your fangs, now?" Shikaku intoned, making sure he sounded as unconcerned as possible. To his inner delight, Orochimaru looked enraged.

"Orochimaru," Hiruzen said, turning to fully face his student.

He looked heartbroken, and Shikaku had to harden his heart against it. Orochimaru was like a rabid dog, barely even human anymore. It would almost be a mercy to release him from his madness.

"Two against one, hmm? Perhaps I can even the odds," Orochimaru said, lips pulling back into a facsimile of a smile.

Both Shikaku and Hiruzen were already rushing through hand signs, knowing that if it made Orochimaru happy, they wouldn't like what came next. Hiruzen pushed a huge stream of fire from his mouth, and a second later Shikaku added a gust of wind to the assault.

He squinted his eyes against the resulting brightness, and barely made out the shape of Orochimaru just before the flames engulfed him. Shikaku didn't actually believe that it would take him out and was already on the move, running around to flank him.

Hiruzen went in the opposite direction, years of collaborating together on strategy giving them insight into how the other's mind worked. When the smoke cleared Orochimaru was standing, unharmed, a smirk on his face.

Two blackened but intact wooden coffins stood in front of him. Shikaku frowned when he saw the names marked on the front.

"Well, I was saving this for a special occasion, but I suppose this is as good a time as any to show off my newest jutsu. It may be familiar to you, sensei," he said, smile wide and creepy.

Hiruzen's hands were in front of him, and he was grimacing as a third coffin tried to come out of the ground. A purple light appeared below it, and it sank back down.

"Orochimaru, this is an abomination," Hiruzen said, and Shikaku felt a bit of concern when he realized the man's face had gone pale, and the lines around his mouth had deepened.

"No, it is the perfection of a jutsu that only one other man has accomplished," he said, and Shikaku rolled his eyes at his flourish towards the coffins.

Fifty years old and still trying to impress sensei. His derisive thoughts were derailed when the coffins opened, and the men inside were revealed.

"The Reanimation Jutsu," Hiruzen breathed.

"Well, fuck," Shikaku said, rubbing at the facial hair on his chin as the First and Second Hokage's bodies were revealed.

Their eyes were open but unseeing as they stepped out. Shikaku sent his shadows racing across the clearing towards them, but Orochimaru blocked them with a large earth wall.

A moment later it crumbled and Shikaku was left staring at the reanimated corpses of Konoha's first two Hokages. He ignored Orochimaru's gloating explanations to Hiruzen as he took into account the two new variables that had entered the fight.

"Sarutobi, is that you? You've gotten old," Tobirama said. He then glanced over at Shikaku, and tilted his head to the side.

"A Nara as Hokage? Huh," he said, and Shikaku narrowed his eyes at the man's obvious doubt.

"He is up to the task, I assure you. Shikaku is considered the greatest strategist that Konoha has ever scene. Ah, accepting yourself, Tobirama-sensei," Hiruzen quickly added, and Shikaku resisted the urge to snort.

"I am sure you will serve Konoha well," Hashirama said kindly, and then sighed. "So I suppose we must fight you, then?"

Shikaku glanced around, taking in the landscape and pulling up everything he knew about the Forbidden Reanimation Jutsu. It wasn't a lot. What a pain.

"So, Sarutobi-sama, I guess you get your wish," Shikaku said as Orochimaru inserted marked kunai into the heads of the two corpses. He stretched his hands above his head, sighing in satisfaction at the pop that resulted.

"You take on your wayward student, and I'll deal with the Lord Hokages. I'll warn you, though - if you let him go, I will try you for treason, and the punishment will be much worse than home arrest," he said in a hard tone.

"Do not worry, Shikaku," Hiruzen said, voice tired as he rubbed at his eyes and both Hokage took a few stumbling steps forward as their wills were stripped from them. "I see that there is no redemption for him. I have seen it for a long time."

"Alright, then," Shikaku said. "I leave it to you."

He then darted forward to intercept Tobirama as he headed for Hiruzen. He ducked out of the way of a punch and swept the other man's legs out from under him at the knees.

At the same time he made a sign and his shadows extended and wrapped around the First Hokage, then threw him into the trees behind him.

He rolled backwards over his shoulder, throwing shuriken at Tobirama as he did so, who jumped back in the direction his brother had gone. Shikaku followed up with four consecutive fireballs, following Tobirama as he retreated further into the trees.

Behind him, Hiruzen and Orochimaru were hurling jutsu at each other, the force of the chakra adding to the chaos as Shikaku rolled out of the way of a tree root that came out of the ground and tried to wrap around him.

He gritted his teeth as another slammed into his side, flipping in the air and landing in a crouch, feet sliding against the ground as he slid backwards. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and steam flooded the space between the trees from whatever was happening with Hiruzen's and Orochimaru's battle, creating a surreal, menacing quality to the already creepy forest.

He could use that to his advantage, though he knew that his opponents were also well versed in taking control of the battlefield. He took off towards the place he'd strung wire, jumping and turning in midair when he felt a surge of chakra behind him.

A whirling column of water was coming at him from the front, and from the side, more tree branches. He flew through the signs he needed, then closed his eyes as he pushed his chakra out through his own shadow, connecting them to the multiple areas of shade being created by the trees around him.

He then tugged them all in towards himself, wrapping them around him and forcing them into a fast spin. When the wood hit, it was torn to shreds is it tried to push past his barrier. The water connected with a force that made Shikaku grit his teeth and push more of his own chakra into the shadows, making them spin faster.

The area around him was covered in water as it exploded outward when it met his spinning defense. When there was no more water he released his own jutsu, dropping out of the air and landing in a crouch.

He'd created that jutsu himself when he was nineteen after watching Hizashi use the Revolving Heaven Technique. It was his own bastardized version of the Hyuuga clan's ultimate defense. He used to do it alongside the Hyuuga and yell out 'Shadow Techniques: Revolving Shadows!' just to watch them twitch.

Despite being winded he didn't pause for long, catching movement from the corner of his eye. He turned and ran, leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk to avoid the jutsu being thrown at him.

He winced when a large splinter from a tree in front him that was shredded by a water dragon sliced across his cheek. He hoped Yoshino had sincerely meant it when she told him that his facial scars made him look sexy.

He put up an earth wall between himself and Tobirama and Hashirama when he reached his destination. It trembled when whatever monster techniques they'd sent at him hit it a moment later. He wrapped a hand around a length of wire dangling from the low branch next to him.

When his wall disintegrated he had to squint through the low visibility that the steam and dust had caused. There - two figures blurred to stand about ten feet in front of him.

Without waiting to see what they'd do, he fed chakra into the wire. The space he and the two other Hokage were standing in exploded.

Shikaku sighed as the shadow clone's hit him. He had switched out with the clone just as he ended his Rotating Shadows Technique. He was crouched in a tree about thirty feet away from the blast. He knew that trap would come in handy.

He cautiously jumped from tree to tree until he was close enough to see the space where Tobirama and Hashirama had last been. He leaned forward to peer into the ruined area, ignoring the burning remains of the forest around him.

There - a body was draped over a branch about twenty feet away. A long curtain of hair revealed who it was - well, who it had been. Hashirama was missing an arm from the elbow down, and another was just fully gone. Both legs were nowhere to be seen.

Tobirama was slumped against a large rock on the other side of the crater that Shikaku's trap had created. Only the upper half of his torso remained.

Shikaku only had a good thirty seconds of feeling self-satisfied with his victory over two former Hokage (though he knew they were not fighting at full strength, of course they weren't. He figured it was a side effect of the Reanimation Jutsu. You could force somebody to fight but you couldn't force them to put all their effort into it) before Tobirama twitched.

Shikaku sighed and looked up at the sky as the man's body began to rebuild itself. "Right. Time to regroup," he muttered.

He appeared in the clearing that he'd left Hiruzen in just in time for Orochimaru to reveal the face of the body he'd taken beneath his mask and explain that he, too, was immortal. Shikaku wondered why he had bothered getting out of bed that day.

Resisting the urge to slump, he weaved his chakra through the shadows that were connected through the network of trees and detritus now littering the clearing, and pushed some of them forward to grab ahold of Orochimaru.

"Sorry to interrupt, Sarutobi-sama," he said conversationally. "But we've got a problem."

The man looked like he'd seen better days, but then Shikaku could still feel blood running down his own cheek, his ribs were aching, and he'd ditched his Hokage robes on the run over, since they were now soggy and ripped and useless.

Hiruzen glanced warily at Orochimaru, who was straining against the jutsu, and then leapt to land next to him. "What is it?"

"I blew half of the Former Hokages' bodies off of them, and they just grew back. Any suggestions?"

Hiruzen's face was drawn into a troubled frown. "It is as I feared. They cannot be killed in any conventional way."

"Just what I wanted to hear," Shikaku grumbled, sweat forming on his brow as he struggled to hold Orochimaru.

"I might have a way. Please, listen closely," the man said gravely, the long ends of his hitai-ate fluttering in the breeze.

"I'm a captive audience," Shikaku said, then tipped his head towards Hiruzen as the other man leaned in to whisper instructions into his ear.

His brows went higher and higher, and finally he sighed. "Alright. Let's do it your way," he said. "You do what you have to do. I'll...distract them, then trap them."

"Agreed," Hiruzen said. Shikaku released Orochimaru just as Tobirama and Hashirama appeared.

He put his back to Hiruzen's and they both slapped the ground at the same time, their summons appearing next to them.

"Shikaku-sama," Haro rumbled at him as Enma greeted Hiruzen.

As far as boss summons went, Haro wasn't large. His long body was only as tall as Shikaku's shoulder when he was on all fours. His tawny fur rippled as the skin beneath it twitched.

"Haro-san. You remember the time my team was ambushed by that group of Iwa nin in the war?"

"Yes," Haro said, reaching up and rubbing his nose with a large foot.

"Think we can do something similar with these three?" he motioned towards the enemy ninja.

A pause, and then, "Aren't they the First and Second Hokage?"

"Eh, kind of. Anyway, you in?"

His summons sighed, but nodded. "Why not," it said glumly, and Shikaku rolled his eyes.

He was forced to leap out of the way instead of responding when Orochimaru's huge summons struck at them. Apparently the man had been feeling left out and brought his own summons out to play.

Haro had disappeared, though a suspiciously large pile of dirt twenty feet away told Shikaku where he'd gone. Shikaku twisted around, and seeing that Enma had engaged the snake, turned his attention to his three foes.

Hiruzen had created two shadow clones and was racing through the hand signs he needed for his technique. Shikaku flashed in front of him and winced as Orochimaru's mouth opened and his sword, Kusanagi, was revealed.

The First and Second were preparing their own jutsu, water rising up around Tobirama and the ground trembling as trees began to erupt from it.

Shikaku took a deep breath moved through his own hand seals, then grabbed at the multiple shadows in the clearing that he still had his chakra weaved through. Clearing his mind, he gave them a mental tug.

The space around them was suddenly teeming with his shadows as they rushed towards his three foe from every direction. They were numerous enough that it made it impossible for his foes to fully recover their balance or gain control over the situation.

Orochimaru seemed stunned momentarily by the voracity and violence of the attack. Everywhere the three men turned, there was a dark shape trying to impale, crush, or capture them. Shikaku could feel every shadow as though it was an extension of him, his consciousness strung out into each one.

The Expanded Consciousness Technique was a forbidden jutsu in his clan, and for good reason. It stretched a user's yin chakra too far, pulled his attention in too many directions. The Nara who had invented it went insane after over-using it. Others after him had simply lost themselves, becoming shells of humans, their consciousness forever caught in the shadows.

Shikaku, however, was not normal - not even for a Nara. He was a rational, logical man who was firmly tied to reality. His mind could be in several places at once, and as long as he didn't use this particular jutsu often, he could stay grounded.

Still, it was an uncomfortable feeling - as though his soul was being torn apart. He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, counting down in his mind as one set of shadows wrapped around Orochimaru's leg and tugged him off balance.

The man did a replacement jutsu, but couldn't hide from something that was everywhere, and ended up twisting out of the way as a large fist-shaped shadow tried to bludgeon him.

Tobirama and Hashirama were twisting and rolling out of the way of the multiple attacks, and in the background Enma had driven Manda into the ground and was pummeling him. The monkey summons were fierce and intelligent fighters, and Enma was proof that they suited the Third Hokage well.

"I'm ready, Shikaku," Hiruzen's tired voice said.

Shikaku took a deep breath and the shadows all paused for just a moment before beginning to whirl around the clearing, faster and faster, picking up rocks and bits of trees and tearing any saplings that had managed to survive before this out of the ground.

It was draining his chakra fast, but hopefully Hiruzen's plan would work and he wouldn't have to enter any fights for awhile after this. The three enemy were forced inward. Orochimaru tried to sink into the ground, but was driven back out by Haro's snapping teeth.

As he leapt away from the paralyzing bite his shoulder connected with the whirling mass of shadows and he was flung into Tobirama and Hashirama, making all three of them stagger. His sword flew from his hand and Shikaku's shadows allowed it to pass through. It landed harmlessly on the ground.

This was the best chance they'd get. He snapped his shadows in and latched onto the men, gasping as all three immediately began to struggle against him. They were wrapped up from the elbow down, the shadows acting as a sort of cocoon.

The world around them went ominously silent as the detritus that Shikaku's tornado of shadows had picked up fell to the ground, leaving a perfect circle of torn up ground and broken trees.

Hiruzen and his clones were already moving in on the three of them when the earth around them began to shift, at first slowly, but then faster and faster as though they were in the center of a whirlpool.

Shikaku knew that beneath the surface, Haro was the cause of the moving dirt as the mole whipped around them over and over, weaving his own chakra into each individual granule of dirt.

Instead of the three captives moving downwards, as would be expected in a whirlpool, the earth moved up, spiraling around them. Shikaku breathed out slowly as it began to merge with his shadows, strengthening them. They blended together until all three shinobi were wrapped in a dark mass of earth and shadow.

Haro appeared on the other side of them, crouched down low and looking strained. Shikaku could relate - keeping the three shinobi still was no easy feat. All of them were chakra powerhouses, and even with the combined effort of his summons it was draining.

Hiruzen was just...standing there. He looked tense though, and after a moment he gasped and stiffened.

Orochimaru's tongue lashed out at the Sarutobi. Shikaku had been expecting it and part of the shadow and earth bindings extended into the shape of a scythe and sliced through the appendage.

Orochimaru made a choked off noise and Shikaku grimaced. He didn't doubt it was growing back as they spoke. Orochimaru had always been one creepy mother fucker.

A puff of smoke signalled that Manda was gone, probably too injured to stay on this plane. Some good news, at least.

"What are you doing?" Orochimaru asked, and Shikaku scowled at the confirmation that his tongue was still in action.

"You believe yourself to have surpassed me in knowledge," Hiruzen said, voice tight. "But there is a jutsu you have not heard of, perfected by the Uzumaki and guarded fiercely. It was entrusted to me by Namikaze Minato."

Tobirama and Hashirama stiffened as he finished talking. Eleven seconds later they slumped over, and the two shadow clones disappeared. Hashirama lifted his eyes, and Shikaku saw that they were clear. The jutsu Hiruzen had described to him earlier - the one that removed the soul from a body - must have worked.

"Ah. Sorry for the trouble, Saru," he said.

"I am sorry I must give you this end," Hiruzen said.

"If it protects Konoha, we will gladly give our souls to the Shinigami," Tobirama said, and Shikaku and Orochimaru both jerked in surprise.

"The Shinigami...but that means..." Orochimaru said.

"Yes. Behold the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Their souls are to be taken into the belly of the Shinigami. So, too, will yours."

"Good luck, Sarutobi. We'll be seeing you soon. Nara - protect our village well," Tobirama said. Shikaku fell to one knee as the strain of keeping the Shadow Earth Prison in place increased along with Orochimaru's desperation.

"I will do my best," he said, voice showing the depth of his exertion. Sweat was pouring down his face and his muscles were trembling.

"Hiruzen, you might want to hurry it up," he said, even as he the bodies that had only recently been the two Hokage morphed into two young ninja that Shikaku thought he might have seen at the exam's first test. He was pretty sure they'd been wearing Konoha hitai-ate.

"You have fallen so far into darkness," Hiruzen said as he too recognized them. "It is with sorrow that I perform this duty, but do it I must."

Shikaku still couldn't see what exactly was happening, but when he focused he could feel  _something_ change as Orochimaru stiffened.

_"No,"_ Orochimaru spat. "It is you who will die."

From the corner of his eye Shikaku saw Kusanagi begin to rise from where it had landed across the clearing. Enma saw it too from where he was collapsed, exhausted from his fight with Manda.

"Do not release your jutsu, Shikaku," Hiruzen said in a hard voice. "I must finish this."

Shikaku took a deep breath but did not argue. He would trust the Hokage he had followed for most of his adult life this one last time. He had made mistakes, but Shikaku would always remember the kind man who had guided him when he first took on the responsibilities of Jounin Commander. Despite everything, he deserved this much from Shikaku.

The sword flew forward. Enma dove for it. Blood splattered across a delighted Orochimaru's face.

"No!" Enma cried.

Hiruzen staggered as the sword pierced him, but did not fall. Enma was holding the sword in one hand, keeping Orochimaru from further injuring his summoner.

Shikaku stared at Hiruzen's back, ignoring the stinging in his eyes as Orochimaru began spitting insults at the man.

"Shikaku, he cannot move, the Shinigami has hold of him. Release your jutsu," Hiruzen said through labored breathing. After a moment of hesitation, he did so.

"Shikaku-sama, I am worn out," Haro said. "I'm afraid I must leave."

"You did good, Haro. Thanks."

The summons simply nodded before disappearing, and Shikaku put a hand on the ground and breathed deeply. His chakra was dangerously low, but he forced himself to stand and stagger to Hiruzen's side anyway.

The man's face was strained, and he and Orochimaru were staring at each other, neither relenting.

"What is it? Why is it not working?" Shikaku rasped.

"I - I don't have the strength," Hiruzen finally said. "I am injured and depleted."

Shikaku studied him, then glanced at Orochimaru, who was smirking, though was still held in place by the jutsu.

"And cutting off his head won't work, I guess," he grumbled.

"I'm afraid not," Hiruzen said. "It seems as though he has achieved some semblance of immortality."

"Right," Shikaku said, then sighed. "Nothing for it, I guess."

He furrowed his brow, then went through the hand signs for a technique developed by Nara medics.

"What are you doing?" Hiruzen asked.

"Giving you strength," Shikaku replied, then smirked at Orochimaru as his eyes widened in alarm.

Shikaku ignored Hiruzen's weak protests and put a hand on the back of his neck as it lit up a greenish-blue. This was generally something used by healers to help one of their own complete high-intensity and long lasting medical techniques.

It fed them chakra, but it also provided them with physical strength while draining energy from the provider at an accelerated rate. It would work just as well for this situation as it did for a healing.

Hiruzen shuddered and Shikaku closed his eyes as his already beat up and depleted body was forced to give up more. He just pressed his lips together and continued to feed life force into Hiruzen, who was straightening, his eyes narrowed.

"Do not kill yourself, Shikaku. The village needs you alive more than it needs Orochimaru dead."

Shikaku just grunted and increased the flow, slitting his eyes open. Orochimaru's eyes were wild and panicked, and his chakra was flaring uncontrollably as he struggled to break free of the hold that the Death God had on him.

Shikaku's whole body began to tremble, his breathing ragged and his pulse irregular. His chakra was dipping to the point where he usually ended up losing consciousness, and he fumbled a chakra pill out of his pouch and popped it into his mouth.

He was going to be hurting after this. His muscles were becoming weak as all of their remaining strength was given to somebody else, and his vision was going dark around the edges. He was aware that Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai had joined them - they never did know when to keep their noses out of things - but he ignored them.

Finally, Hiruzen spoke. "That's enough Shikaku. I can finish it." He released the jutsu and swayed, only staying on his feet through a force of will.

He was the Hokage, he couldn't go around fainting after every little fight. Orochimaru's eyes were wide and staring at Hiruzen, who gave him a gentle smile.

"I hope to see you in the afterlife, my student. I believe that you will find the peace you've always sought there." Orochimaru's face twisted.

"Sen...sei," he whispered, and then his body collapsed, falling to the ground. His mask crumbled to reveal the body of the young woman that he'd taken in his quest for immortality.

Hiruzen swayed and Shikaku caught him as he fell, lowering himself to his knees and cradling his former Hokage as he did so. Enma, tears running down his face, pulled the now-inert sword from his master's body. Around them, more shinobi had gathered.

"Sarutobi-sama," Shikaku said, sorrow making his voice gruff.

A woman that Shikaku recognized as a tokubetsu jounin medic rushed to their side, hands already moving towards Hiruzen's wounds. More high level ninja were gathering, attracted by the massive fight that had been going on.

"Don't waste your energy," Hiruzen said, and reached a shaking hand up to pat one of hers. Her expression was stricken, sorrow drawing lines on what was usually a youthful face.

Hiruzen then turned his face towards Shikaku. "You did well. The price of that technique...is that I will also be taken by the Shinigami. So please, do not use it lightly."

"It's what Minato used that night, isn't it?" Shikaku asked, realization dawning and being quickly drowned out by horror.

Hiruzen closed his eyes. "All of the Hokage are now bound to the same fate. We serve our village, even after death," he said.

Shikaku's eyes narrowed. "I'll find a way to release your souls. I promise."

Hiruzen chuckled. "Your focus should be on the village. It needs your keen mind more than ever. It also," he stopped to cough, and blood flecked his lips.

"It also needs your kindness. I know you hide it beneath that Nara veneer, but it is there, right next to the more ruthless side of your nature. Be wise when deciding which to draw on.

"The Will of Fire...the Hokage must personify that. You must pass it onto the next generation."

"I will, Sarutobi-sama," he said. "The village will be safe, I'll make sure of it."

"Good. Don't - make the same mistakes I did," Hiruzen said.

"You were a good Hokage. You made mistakes, but you loved us, and you loved Konoha," Shikaku said, and murmurs of agreement broke out around him.

Hiruzen's eyes filled with tears when he heard them. "You are all exceptional. My pride for all my shinobi...it burns brightly within me."

The medic was crying silently, even as she turned her attention to Shikaku, hands shaking as they checked him over.

"I leave it...to you..." Hiruzen said, and then his eyes closed for the last time. Enma disappeared in a puff of smoke, face twisted in sorrow.

Shikaku bowed his head, allowing his grief to show. Then he gently laid the frail, broken body of the Third Hokage down and stood, ignoring the protests of the medic.

He turned and faced the gathered shinobi. "We will remember him well," he said, and it was a command. "He died for our village, and he lived for it too. We will spread this truth, and we will honor him."

The ANBU fell to one knee as he addressed him, and the rest of the gathered shinobi inclined their heads in agreement. The Third was dead, and in his death he had found redemption.

"Come," Shikaku said, taking a step forward, ignoring the exhaustion pulling at him. "We've got a lot to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sometimes I'm just skipping along writing outlines like 'wow this will be such a fun chapter with fix-its and intense fights and team fluff and NOW YOU WILL DIE AND THERE WILL BE ANGST.'
> 
> So that happened. :D
> 
> What do we think of Shikaku 'I'm a Badass' Nara? And Shino's diabolical plan? And the moles, so cute, right? Remember all the FUN stuff I put in before the end, guys? Remember? -runs away-


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third portion of the exams approach, and Shikaku is still a schemer.

Nariko crouched low, body still and chakra pulled in close to her core. Next to her, hidden from view in the thick bushes they'd crowded into, were the other three members of her team.

The bushes had large foul smelling flowers growing on them, and Nariko was breathing shallowly through her nose to avoid sneezing at an inopportune moment. In front of them the red haired boy from Sand who had just crushed his foes into nothing without a hint of remorse (had, in fact, seemed to enjoy it), was speaking softly to his teammates.

Finally they turned and left, thankfully in the opposite direction from where Nariko and her team were hidden. Still, they remained where they were until Shino's kikaichu buzzed the all clear.

Hinata was trembling slightly, and Nariko was focused on not throwing up. How was someone so...monstrous only a genin?

"We should go," Shino said in a low voice.

Nariko bit her lip. "I think - I think we should find Team Seven and Team Ten," she replied, her tone barely above a whisper. "We need to warn them."

Hinata and Shino exchanged looks.

"Alright," Hinata said, and Nariko's shoulders relaxed.

"Okay. I'm sure I can pick up Naruto's scent at least -" she cut off as the ground beneath their feet trembled and a wall of intense fear and a feeling of near-suffocation slammed into her.

"What -" she gasped, stumbling.

The three of them grabbed at each other so they could stay upright, Suoh in the middle of their circle.

"That's chakra - a lot of it, and being used with the intent to kill," the ninken said.

"But genin can't u-use this sort of power," Hinata stammered, and they all started as fire bloomed above the expanse of the trees.

"No. This is no fight between genin. Come, let's find our comrades," Suoh said, and put his nose to the air.

 

000

 

They found Team Seven and Team Ten together, and Nariko's eyes widened at how beat up and exhausted they all looked. Naruto was either sleeping or unconscious, Sasuke and Sakura were bloody and dirty, slumped next to his body, and Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru were swaying in place as they stood guard around them.

Tied up and hanging from trees behind them were six genin. The team that Nariko had stolen a scroll from was there, along with the three genin with Sound hitai-ate.

"They have traps set up," Hinata whispered.

"Do you see anybody else around?" Nariko asked, and Hinata shook her head.

"My kikaichu also haven't found anybody close enough to worry about," Shino added.

Nariko and Suoh scented the air and listened. Nothing. Nariko took a deep breath and stood.

"Shikamaru!" she called. "It's Team Eight. We don't want to set off your traps, but we want to help."

Shikamaru looked in their direction, and Nariko jumped up on Suoh's back so that she was clearly visible over the brush and waved. His eyes narrowed.

"Sakura, you were always good with genjutsu in the academy. What do you think?"

Sakura looked surprised for a moment, and then determined. Nariko saw that her hair was much shorter than it had been when she last saw her. What had happened to them, anyway?

Sakura lifted her hands into a familiar sign and yelled "Kai!"

After a few seconds she relaxed. "I think it's them."

Shikamaru tapped his fingers on his thigh, still not fully convinced. "What was in the lunch you made for me when you came to my house for a surprise picnic?"

Nariko's cheeks immediately flared red. Did he  _have_ to choose that question? Ino let out a low wolf whistle and she just knew Shino was side-eyeing her under his sunglasses.

"Rice balls, a tomato salad, and cake," she said, voice sullen.

His shoulders slumped in relief. "Okay. Take two steps to your right, four steps forward, jump forward about two feet, and you should be good," he rattled off.

Nariko raised an eyebrow but did as he said, her team following behind her. When they cleared the traps she rushed over to Naruto.

Hinata knelt next to him, going through a now-familiar ritual of diagnostic jutsu. Nariko and Shino had been her practice dummies more than once the past few months.

"We were attacked," Sakura said, and her eyes filled with tears. "By - by a missing nin. He did something to Naruto, I don't know what. Will he be okay?"

"A missing nin?" Nariko asked, and sat back on her heels, eyes wide.

Shikamaru sat down next to her, and she glanced over when he leaned into her just slightly. He looked awful - his face was drawn and pale and his lips were pressed together.

"You ever heard of the Legendary Sannin?" he asked as Hinata moved her green lit hands to Naruto's stomach and frowned.

"Um, yeah," Nariko said, tilting her head to the side. "My father told me about them after I met Jiraiya-sama once."

Shikamaru stared at her. "You met Jiraiya? The Jiraiya?"

Nariko shrugged. "Barely. Sometimes my father would meet with him. My mom didn't like him much so mostly we stayed somewhere else while dad talked to him. After she died, dad usually left me with friends before meeting him. He said he was worried mom would lay him out when they...met in the afterlife if he took me with him."

Nariko swallowed and looked down, and Shikamaru gripped her wrist in his hand.

"Well," he said, giving her a moment to recover, "Orochimaru apparently attacked Team Seven in the forest."

Nariko jerked. " _What?"_

Sasuke looked away, and Sakura's hands fisted in her lap, though her eyes were still on Naruto.

"It's true. He was after..." she glanced at Sasuke and trailed off.

Nariko was completely dumbfounded. What in the world would a Sannin want with Sasuke?

"How did you escape? I ask because Orochimaru is considered one of the strongest ninja in the Elemental Nations," Shino said from where he was hovering next to Hinata.

Shikamaru stiffened next to her, and Nariko's eyebrow furrowed. She looked over at Ino for explanation.

"I guess...Shikaku-sama showed up. His summons helped them escape and brought them to us."

Nariko turned back to look at Shikamaru. So that's what had him worked up.

"He'll be okay," she said earnestly. "Your father is very strong and smart. I believe in him."

Shikamaru glanced at her, and his lip quirked up just a bit. "Ah. I suppose you're right. Plus he has to live so I can yell at him for dropping this mess in our laps," he grumbled, and gestured at Team Seven.

Sasuke and Sakura both glared at him as Hinata leaned back and blew out a breath.

"I think...I think he's okay. There's some disruption here," she said, motioning towards Naruto's stomach, "But I think that's where the...seal is. It seems to be fixing itself."

Sasuke's shoulders lost some of their tension, and Sakura let out a shaky breath.

"I can't believe my dad decided I was the best person to deal with an unconscious jinchuuriki and his beat up teammates," Shikamaru said.

"I can," Nariko said, and bumped her shoulder against his. "I bet he knew that you'd take care of them and make sure they passed this round despite their injuries."

Shikamaru glanced away, his cheeks tinting red, and Nariko couldn't help but smile at him despite the situation they were in.

Their attention was drawn to the six genin dangling upside down from a tree when one of them woke. It was the brunette that Nariko had swiped the scroll from, and he was yelling muffled invectives through the makeshift gag in his mouth.

"I am curious to learn how those genin came to be captured," Shino said, and Shikamaru sighed and looked at the sky.

"A few minutes after dad's obnoxious summons dropped these three off, we stumbled into a genjutsu cast by the team from Sound. Those three were caught in it, too, and it ended up being a total pain," Shikamaru said, motioning towards the angry genin.

"Looks like you guys came out on top," Nariko pointed out, and he just sulked harder and mumbled something about how it was all a pain and he should have never agreed to do the exams.

"Shikamaru was really cool," Sakura said from where Hinata was bandaging a nasty cut on her arm and gave him a small, wobbly smile. "All six of them decided to work together to take us down, but he came up with an plan and we were able to beat them."

Shikamaru looked uncomfortable while Ino and Chouji beamed at him. "Eh, a plan is only as good as it's parts," he finally said.

"I suggest we stay together for the rest of this stage," Shino said. "My team is uninjured and fairly fresh. We will keep watch while you rest for a few hours. We can make sure that we avoid other teams on the way back, so hopefully there will be no more fighting."

Hinata nodded and ignored Sasuke's glare when she moved onto his checkup.

"I think that's a good idea," she said, hands steady as she wrapped a bandage around Sasuke's calf.

Sakura was watching her with a strange expression on her face, but didn't argue when Hinata handed her a water bottle and encouraged her to drink before doing the same to Sasuke.

"Does Team Seven have both scrolls that they need?"

"Aa, we got it off of them," Sakura replied, and waved in the direction of the genin.

Two more of them had woken up, but they were all thoroughly trussed and were now just dangling, a mix of enraged and helpless.

"Alright," Shikamaru said as everyone looked at him for instruction. "Let's take two hours. We should be fine between the traps and Team Eight."

Hinata stayed next to Naruto so that she could keep an eye on his vitals. Sakura and Sasuke settled in next to her, lying down on the ground beside him.

Suoh and Nariko moved to opposite sides of the clearing without having to discuss it so they could listen for and sniff out potential trouble from more angles. Shino's kikaichu flowed out of his sleeves to spread around the area as Nariko leapt into a tree.

A moment later Shikamaru joined her. She didn't say anything, just scooted over so he could settle next to her. She closed her eyes and scented the air, listening to the forest around her.

"The fight with my dad ended awhile ago," Shikamaru finally said, and she opened her eyes and looked over at him.

It was true that the sounds of explosions and the suffocating chakra were gone. His face was drawn and tense despite the fact that he was slumped against the tree.

Nariko didn't think there was really anything to say that would make him worry less. Instead she reached over and grabbed his hand. Then she gave a little tug until he was leaning against her. After a moment he let out a shaky breath and turned his head, burying his face in her shoulder.

It took awhile, but eventually he fell into a fitful sleep.

Naruto woke up just as they were getting ready to leave a few hours later, to everybody's relief. He bragged loudly about killing a giant snake until Sakura eventually lost her temper with him. Nariko was glad to see he hadn't been traumatized by his encounter, at least.

Shikamaru was quiet for most of the journey to the tower. They were able to avoid other teams easily enough when they got close, thanks to Team Eight's various skills. Shikamaru figured out what they needed to do with the scrolls once they arrived, and they all filed into the designated sleeping area when their assigned chunin finished with their speeches.

Wordlessly, they decided to all stay in one room together. It felt safer after everything that happened.

There were six beds, and Hinata and Nariko doubled up after exchanging a glance, Suoh curling up at their feet. Sakura and Ino eyed each other but followed suit, and Shikamaru collapsed next to Chouji. Everyone else took a bunk, and they fell asleep without another word.

They were woken an indeterminate amount of time later by a knock on the door. Shikamaru was already up and halfway across the room by the time everybody else sat up. He flung open the door, shoulders drooping in relief when he discovered it was Shikaku.

"Dad," he said, and the man reached out put a hand on his head.

"Maa, Shikamaru, don't tell me you were worried?"

He glared up at him, and Shikaku's eyes widened when he leaned forward and gave him a quick hug before stepping back and slouching back over to his bed. He sat down on the edge and Shikaku took in their disheveled states with one raised brow.

"Hmm, looks like you all ran into trouble, too," he said, and stepped inside before closing the door.

"We didn't show up until after they were done fighting," Nariko admitted, and Shikaku hummed, then pulled the one chair in the room out from behind the desk and swung it around, collapsing onto it with a sigh.

He looked exhausted, and Nariko wondered when the last time he'd sat down had been. Hinata twitched next to her and she knew she was itching to go check him over.

"Hey, Shikaku-sama, did you kick that snake guy's ass?" Naruto asked, jumping to his feet and scurrying over to stand next to the man.

Shikaku hesitated, then inclined his head. "Orochimaru is dead, though it was a combined effort between the Third and myself."

Sasuke scoffed. "Couldn't handle him yourself?"

Nariko resisted the urge to growl at him, but only barely. Suoh didn't bother holding back, and Sasuke jerked once before catching himself.

"I think it might be a good idea to tell you the full story, starting with why he was after you in the first place," Shikaku said.

"Yeah, I'm curious to know why you only told  _Sakura_ we were in danger and gave her the kunai. I suppose all that talk about honesty was bullshit," Sasuke said, eyes narrowed.

Shikaku snorted. "I told Sakura because she's the only one on your team with any sense - and that includes your sensei. I knew she'd actually call when you needed me, not when you were already half dead."

Sasuke glared and Sakura blushed, staring down at her hands. Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sakura-chan  _is_ pretty smart," he admitted easily.

"She is," Shikaku agreed. "Now. As to why he was after Sasuke. Orochimaru was obsessed with gaining immortality. He discovered he could obtain a version of it by transferring his consciousness into a host's body. He also had the goal of learning every jutsu ever created," Shikaku said, and rolled his eyes.

"He decided an Uchiha's body would be the perfect vessel, as their Sharingan allows the user to copy jutsu if they're talented enough in its use."

"That - that's horrible!" Sakura said, hands clenching in her lap. "He wanted to take Sasuke's  _body?"_

"Yes," Shikaku said. "I was able to find something hinting at his plan in Danzo's personal journal. I wasn't sure when he'd make the move, so I set up an ambush with the Flying Thunder God technique, which the Fourth Hokage passed onto my guard, Genma. It allows him to flash to a marked location if needed, and he's able to take one passenger."

"And then you gave it to Sakura-chan and told her to call if we ran into trouble," Sasuke said, voice now thoughtful instead of bitter.

"Yes. I didn't tell you, Sasuke, because honestly you're too prone to trying to take on everything on your own in an attempt to prove your strength," Shikaku said bluntly. "It's a flaw. Work on it, and next time I'll give  _you_  the call for help."

Sasuke stiffened and Nariko took a moment to appreciate how cool Shikaku was.

"So you and the old man took out the weird snake guy, huh? What jutsu did you use? I bet they were pretty awesome," Naruto was staring up at Shikaku, whose lips quirked up on the side.

"Naruto." Shikaku looked up at the ceiling then back over to him. "Since you and Sarutobi-sama were always close, I'll tell you what happened. But the details stay in this room, do you understand?"

He waited until they'd all nodded solemnly to continue, and Nariko leaned forward in interest, moving one hand to rest on Suoh's head. She hadn't missed the use of the past tense in that sentence, though it seemed as if Naruto had.

"Orochimaru used a forbidden jutsu that recalled the spirits of dead shinobi into a borrowed body."

Nariko's eyes widened. That sounded like something out of a children's story. They all leaned forward as Shikaku told them about the rest of the fight. He glossed over the jutsu the third had used to kill Orochimaru and the reincarnated Hokage, only saying it was forbidden and always led to the death of the wielder.

Shikaku was called away shortly after he finished his story. He rested a hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed. As he passed Shikamaru he said, "I'm proud of you," before leaving.

Nariko was surprised at how upset she felt about the death of the Third Hokage. She had been angry with him the past few months, of course. She felt he was partially responsible for the death of her father, and for Danzo's other nefarious deeds.

She also, however, remembered how kind he could be. The shinobi of the village loved him not just for his strength, but for his gentle nature, as well. He had given her wisdom on the day she'd attacked Akira that had stayed close to her heart even after everything that had happened.

Naruto was sitting on one of the beds, eyes wide and unseeing as tears flowed down his face. Nariko knew that despite everything, Naruto had still considered the Third Hokage family.

Suoh trotted over and jumped up next to Naruto, leaning against him. Sasuke was sitting in the corner, brooding, and Sakura was standing next to Naruto, a hand lying awkwardly on his shoulder.

Nariko stared at her friend, at a loss. She had just wanted to compete with her team in the exams and forget about death and conspiracies for awhile. But everywhere she turned lately both things were lying in wait.

 

000

 

They stood in the arena three days later, listening to the instructions for the preliminary exams. Nariko glanced around and wrinkled her nose when she realized that the team from Sound had somehow escaped their bonds. She wondered which poor teams they'd gotten new scrolls from.

They were glaring at the group of rookie Konoha ninja and generally just trying to look threatening. Nariko wondered how they felt about Orochimaru's death. Did they care? Did they even know yet?

Suoh followed her gaze and huffed at the glaring genin. He tilted his head to the side and lolled his tongue out, then flipped his tail at them.

The bandaged one had to hold their female team member back when she stepped forward, face twisted into a scowl. He whispered something into her ear and she subsided. Nariko rolled her eyes and turned back to the proctor. She reached up with one hand to idly finger the handle of her bokken.

Usually she was excited for the chance to have a good spar or fight, but today she just felt...empty. After everything that had happened, the exams felt so  _small._

Nariko shook her head at her maudlin thoughts. She needed to focus, or she'd get her butt kicked out there. She dropped her hand from her weapon to rest it in Suoh's fur.

Shikamaru stepped up next to her. "Hey," he said. "You okay?"

She turned slightly and forced a smile. "Ah. Just tired of sitting around."

He hummed, probably seeing straight through her, but didn't comment. The sound of shuffling nearby had her turning slightly to face Neji's team. Behind her, Hinata's breath hitched and her heartbeat picked up.

"I believe that we have you to thank for the childish prank at the beginning of the exams," Neji said.

"It was most unyouthful!" Lee said while Tenten crossed her arms over her chest.

Nariko decided to take a page from her aunt's book.

"I've got no idea what you're talking about," she said with a grin. "No need to raise a stink about it when you don't have any proof."

Shikamaru snorted and Neji's eyes narrowed slightly before shifting to where Hinata had moved up to stand on her other side.

"Hinata. You shouldn't be here. You're weak -"

Nariko reached for her bokken and stepped forward. Shino's bugs buzzed and Suoh growled.

"I think you'll be happier over there," Nariko said lightly, and tipped her chin towards the other side of the platform. "Unless, of course, you want to reenact your role in the first part of the exam."

For a moment she thought he wasn't going to listen. Then the smell of metal and jasmine hit her nose as Kurenai stepped up behind them.

"You ready for your fights?" she said lightly from over Nariko's shoulder, and the strong scent of cigarettes that signalled Asuma's arrival mixed in with Kurenai's aroma.

Nariko wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant smell but didn't complain, mostly because it was rude, but also because Neji seemed to be rethinking his attempt to intimidate his cousin.

"Yep. Should be fun," Nariko said, and found that now she actually meant it.

Neji may be an asshole, but he sure knew how to get her blood pumping. He and his team went to the other side of the platform, and Nariko relaxed.

The first fight was between Shikamaru and the girl from Sound, whose name was Kin. Nariko squeezed his hand and gave him a smile.

He sighed explosively and grumbled but obediently slouched down the stairs. Nariko couldn't help but laugh at the look of affront Kin gave him from where she was standing in the arena.

She didn't doubt that he would win after seeing him strategize and fight in their group practices, but she still gripped the railing when Shikamaru stumbled under the girl's initial attack.

Next to her Suoh was rumbling deep in his chest and Nariko had to fight not to copy him. Shikamaru would be fine, even if he looked a little beat up and disoriented.

She leaned forward, eyes wide, when he finally captured Kin in the shadow created by the string she used for her strange bell attack. When he forced them to both throw the shuriken at each other, she chewed on her bottom lip. What was he  _doing?_

She let out a breath of relief when he leaned back to dodge it, and another small burst of laughter left her when Kin's head smashed against the wall and she was knocked out. Nariko glanced over at where Shikaku was seated across the arena just before the man wiped the small, pleased smile off his face.

Shikamaru ambled back up to where the rest of the genin were waiting, shrugging off the praise of his team and Naruto. Nariko was leaning against the railing, arms crossed over her chest. He glanced at her, furtively, when he finally shuffled up next to her, but didn't say anything.

She leaned in close to him. "You're very cool, Shikamaru," she whispered, and grinned when his cheeks turned a little pink while he grumbled something about it all being a pain.

She resisted adding that he was also pretty cute, knowing that it would only result in him being embarrassed in front of his friends. Even if it was true.

The next match that came up on the board drained all of the humor from her.  _Hyuuga Hinata vs. Hyuuga Neji._

Nariko sent a betrayed look at Shikaku, who was staring straight at them. His expression was blank, and he didn't react. Nariko knew that the match ups were supposed to be random, but what were the chances?

Hinata's eyes were wide and her hands were shaky, and Nariko grabbed them in her own, Shino crowding in next to them.

"You don't have to do this, Hinata," Nariko said, voice low and urgent.

"You don't think I can?" Hinata asked, and Nariko twitched.

"Of course I don't think that," she said. "It's just...you're scared, and I know you don't want to fight him."

Hinata glanced at Shino, who shrugged. "Whatever you decide, I will not judge you."

Hinata took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "Even if I can't win, I - I don't want to run away. I want to show everyone that I've been working hard."

"Alright," Nariko's smile was wobbly and nerves were making her skin tingle, but she did her best to look confident.

"Kick his ass, Hinata," she said, and Shino nodded once.

Hinata's resulting smile was small but sincere. Nariko was wringing her hands by the time Hinata made it down to the arena. She had to grit her teeth to keep from reacting to Neji's angry words as he belittled her teammate.

Still, Hinata called him brother. Hinata's propensity for kindness was always humbling. Nariko just wanted to smash the smug boy's face into the dirt a few times.

Nariko had never seen two Hyuuga members fight against each other before. It was amazing, the way their chakra flared and swooshed as it collided. Nariko knew from experience how painful even one glancing blow could be from the Gentle Fist, and cheered when Hinata got a hit in against Neji. Naruto yelled encouragement next to her, smile wide.

It didn't take long for the tides to turn, though, and Nariko just stared, horrified, as Hinata struggled to her feet again and again, refusing to stay down every time he hit her.

"Hinata," she whispered, and winced when Naruto cheered as she stood again.

"He's going to kill her if she doesn't forfeit," Suoh said, and Nariko opened her mouth to tell Hinata to do just that.

"Wait," Shino said, and Nariko turned to him, brow furrowed. "That look...she's thought of something."

Nariko turned and narrowed her eyes. And there - the slight tilt of Hinata's head, the way she bit her lip. Neji was standing about ten feet from her, still in his fighting stance, chin raised as he looked down at her.

Nariko forced herself to calm down. She had to trust Hinata. The girl fell leaned forward over her knees and used her uninjured hand to fumble open her coat and reach into it to rub at her opposite shoulder, as though attempting to get movement back into it.

Neji said something about how she could never win, and Nariko's frowned when Hinata's hand slowly moved down towards her ribs. Was she injured there, as well?

"You're probably right," Hinata rasped, cutting Neji off and struggling to her feet. She let her coat fall off her shoulders to the ground, revealing the purple tank top and mesh shirt she wore beneath it.

"But I'm not ready to give up." She stepped forward. "I'll prove to you that I'm a worthy opponent."

Naruto let out a whoop next to her. Nariko tapped her fingers on the railing, feeling a rare flare of annoyance towards Naruto. Couldn't he see that Hinata was seriously hurt?

Hinata went back into position, chest heaving, face dirty, one arm limp at her side from Neji's earlier attacks. A familiar expression on her face had Nariko relaxing, however. She really did have something up her sleeve, though to everybody else she probably just looked determined.

Nariko exchanged a knowing look with Shino just before the two opponents began exchanging blows again. Hinata was still fast enough that Neji was having trouble getting in hits, but enough of them connected that Hinata was swaying in place within minutes.

"Forfeit," the boy said through gritted teeth. "You cannot win. It is your fate to lose to me."

Hinata smiled. "You're right, I can't win. But - but I won't forfeit until I've given it my all."

Neji shook his head. "So be it."

Nariko clenched a fist as he moved forward. Hinata stepped back and to the side, and his palm moved past her. She continued into a spin and he followed her. Their palms connected in bursts of blue chakra as their hands blurred into motion.

Hinata took a step to the side and stumbled on a piece of upturned earth, something that usually wouldn't cause her to falter, but she was barely holding on to consciousness as it was.

Neji took the opening. Nariko gasped as his hand thrust forward and hit Hinata directly in the chest. The girl hunched forward, bowing under the force of his hit...and then transformed in a puff of smoke into her jacket.

It curved forward towards him, wrapping around his arm, and a white cloud erupted from the folds, covering a comically surprised Neji in a fine white powder.

"She did a replacement jutsu," Shikamaru said from next to her. "And she must have planted something in her coat ahead of time. But what is it?"

Hinata was, indeed, lying on the ground where her coat had been, unmoving. Neji spun towards her, face, hair, upper chest, and neck covered in the white substance.

The proctor appeared next to Hinata. "She's unconscious but alive. Winner: Hyuuga Neji."

Nariko, Shino, and Kurenai all leapt over the railing to dash to her side, getting there just as the medics did.

"Is she - is she okay?" Nariko asked, but the medic ignored her as another brought a stretcher over.

Neji stepped up next to them and Nariko glared at him, noting the way he was already twitching in discomfort with satisfaction.

"Do you feel good about yourself? Does this make you feel  _better?"_

"Nariko," Kurenai said, voice sharp. "That's enough."

Nariko looked away, instead watching as they gently lifted Hinata onto the stretcher. She reached out and grabbed onto Shino's arm for support, and he leaned into her.

"Next match," the proctor said, looking bored with the dramatic scene, "Yamanaka Ino and Inuzuka Nariko."

"I forfeit," Nariko said, ignoring the murmurs of the watching shinobi and Naruto's loud protestations at her announcement. "I'm going with my teammate."

"I will also be forfeiting my match," Shino said.

Nariko didn't look over at where Shikaku or the rest of the Konoha genin were standing. She doubted this would be a popular decision, but they had agreed - they'd move on together or not at all.

"Very well," the proctor said after a small pause, then let out a delicate cough.

"Wait," Neji said as she moved to step forward while the proctor pronounced Ino the winner by default.

She paused and glanced at him, and Suoh circled around her to bare his teeth at the boy. He reached a hand up and rubbed at his throat.

"What - what is this?"

Nariko's lips pulled up into a wide grin that she knew showed her slightly elongated fangs. "Itching powder. I'd suggest a shower or eight," she said loudly.

The shinobi in the arena broke out into titters as Nariko hurried to catch up with Shino. Even if Hinata had lost, she'd gotten the last word.

They spent hours in the waiting room at the hospital before they got any news on their teammate's health.

Hinata's chakra system was a mess, and her heart had been slightly damaged by Neji's last blow before she'd completed the Replacement Jutsu. Luckily, the doctors thought she'd make a full recovery if she kept it easy for awhile.

She wasn't the only one that had ended up in the hospital after their matches. Lee had been badly injured by the redheaded Sand nin, to the point where they weren't even sure he'd be able to continue his career as a shinobi.

Neji had some sort of reaction to the itching powder that was stronger than most people's and had checked in a few hours after his match, covered in welts and twitching.

Tenten had annihilated one of the other Sound nin, who was now being treated as well, and Chouji had overeaten after his own fight against the third member of the Sound Team.

The blonde kunoichi who had been on the same team as the murderous redhead had knocked Sakura unconscious, though from all accounts Sakura had done better than expected against such a strong opponent.

Almost all of them were expected to be fine by the next morning. It was really only Hinata and Lee who were badly injured enough to warrant true worry.

Tenten and her sensei sat with the rest of Team Eight, all of them waiting, tense, for news. Hiashi had left the room at about ten that evening to speak with a doctor, and when he came back he had an odd expression on his face.

When he was done updating them on Hinata's injuries and they'd sighed a breath of relief at the news that she'd eventually be fine, he tilted his head and studied Nariko. "A key and lock, hm? I suppose that's in reference to your chosen specialization?"

Both Nariko and Shino froze. Crap, Hiashi knew about the tattoo. He raised his eyebrow, and then to her surprise his eyes crinkled up slightly in a show of humor.

"You forget, I was also on a team with an Inuzuka. I suppose this is just another thing that my daughter and I can count as a commonality. She will not be allowed visitors until tomorrow afternoon. I suggest you go home," he finished before sweeping out of the room.

"Did...did Hiashi-sama just tell us he has matching tattoos with my aunt and your dad?" Nariko finally said.

"I...believe so," Shino replied. "His relationship with your aunt has changed him in disturbing ways."

Nariko shuddered but didn't argue while Kurenai released a choked-up laugh.

On their way to visit Hinata the next day Nariko and Shino were waylaid by a member of Shikaku's guard. They followed the man across the street and into the administration building, neither one speaking.

Suoh trailed along behind them, tail drooping. Kurenai had warned them that the Hokage might not be happy with their decision to forfeit their matches and then walk out of the exams.

Nariko didn't regret it, exactly, but she also liked and respected Shikaku, not to mention the fact that she was dating his son. Shikamaru hadn't said anything about her forfeit, but then he wasn't really the type to make a big deal out of something like that. He didn't care one way or another if she competed.

A few minutes later they were standing in front of Shikaku's desk, and Nariko did her best not to fidget under his steady gaze. He was leaning back in his chair, fingers laced together, hands resting on his stomach. He had bags under his eyes and his skin wasn't as lustrous as usual. The bandage that had been on his face the last time she saw him was gone, and she thought he might have a new scar once the cut on his cheek fully healed.

"So," he finally said, and Suoh leaned against her leg. "You want to tell me why you walked out of an international test, in full view of members of rival shinobi villages, instead of staying to compete?"

"The health of my teammate is more important to me than a match of strength," Shino said simply, and pushed his sunglasses up his nose in a nervous gesture.

Nariko swallowed thickly, and nodded. "Right. We also made a pact before the exams began, that we wouldn't move on in the test if we weren't all moving on together"

Shino added, "This is because we know we are stronger as a team, and we do not want to move up in the ranks until all of us are ready."

Shikaku tapped the fingers one hand on the knuckles of the other, face blank. Finally, when Nariko had given into the nervous urge to shift from one foot to the other, he spoke.

"I hope you understand that it did not put you in a good light from the viewpoint of many people in attendance."

"Yes, Shikaku-sama," Nariko said as meekly as she could, and ignored the annoyed buzzing of Shino's kikaichu.

Shikaku lifted a hand to rub it over his mouth, but his crinkling eyes revealed his humor.

"You'd do it again, wouldn't you?" he said, and Nariko shrugged because, yeah, she would.

"Alright. The thing is, genin quitting the exams because they don't want to compete without their teammates makes us look weak." He held up a hand when Shino straightened, probably ready to argue.

"I'm not saying I think your solidarity is necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps your team needs to walk a different path. So here's what we're going to do. Team Eight won't be competing in any more genin exams."

Nariko clenched her hands into fists. Had they just doomed themselves into staying genin forever?

"Instead, you'll have to get promoted to chunin through a field promotion. You're all talented, so it shouldn't be an issue. I've already talked to Kurenai about it. Now get out of here and let me work." He flapped his hand at them.

Nariko let Shino tug her out of the room after giving a stilted bow. She felt a little less like she'd been reprimanded when Shikaku winked at her on her way out, but the whole thing left her feeling a bit down.

She wasn't sure how to react to this new development. In the back of her mind, she'd assumed that her team would compete in the next chunin exams and prove their worth there.

Now they could end up being genin for  _years._ She didn't know very much about field promotions, but she did know that they were rare.

Still, she had been distinctly unimpressed with the exams. It played out like an excuse for young ninja to beat on people from other villages. Like they were all just cannon fodder in a prideful competition between the kages. Nariko didn't want her team anywhere near something like that.

"I think this is a good thing," Shino said, echoing her thoughts, and she glanced at him. "Because the chunin exams did not feel like it would contribute to our growth outside of giving us a 'reality check.'"

Nariko snorted and traced a hand lightly across the scar on her face. "Yeah, I think we already got one of those this year."

"Yes, I don't believe any of you hold illusions about the bloody nature of your work," Suoh said a little wryly.

"Indeed," Shino agreed.

They stopped by the gift shop to buy Hinata flowers, then headed for her room. Nariko reached out and grabbed Shino's arm when they were about twenty feet away, cocking her head to the side when she picked up the drone of conversation.

She enhanced her hearing until she could make out actual words.

"...Your last move against Neji was unconventional. Some of the elders are making noise about your team being a bad influence."

"I won't leave them," Hinata's voice said, in that soft-but-firm way that Nariko knew meant she wasn't budging.

"I would not ask you to," Hiashi replied. "I know that our clan is not great with improvisation, but you seem to have learned the skill from all the time you spent training with Inuzuka. I suppose your senseis also played no small part."

"Yes, father," Hinata said, voice wary.

Hiashi hummed and was silent for awhile. When he spoke, his voice held a warmth that it usually lacked. "I, for one, am proud of you. Despite knowing that you could not win against a stronger opponent, you struck a blow that disabled him in the end.

"I found that it was strategies like the one you utilized that won the most battles in the war. Continue to work hard, my daughter."

"Y-yes father!" Hinata squeaked.

Nariko stopped listening in favor for grinning widely. Maybe Hiashi's relationship with Tsume was good for more than just traumatizing Nariko whenever she breathed in too deeply after he'd been by for a 'visit.'

Shino shot her a look, but she just shook her head. She'd tell him once they were with Hinata. Hiashi left the room, face thoughtful. Nariko met his gaze squarely as he approached, but didn't say anything.

He paused next to Nariko and put a hand on her shoulder. "I am thankful that my daughter has such dedicated teammates," he said, then continued his steady strides down the hall.

"Maybe all we need to do is find Neji a girlfriend to get him to take that stick outta of his ass," Nariko noted, and Suoh huffed out a laugh.

 

_One Month Later_

 

Shikaku sat in the box watching the final matches with only half his attention. Most likely they wouldn't get a chance to finish, if the reports that had been coming across his desk for the past month were any indication.

Jiraiya was chatting up a giggling civilian woman in the stands about thirty feet away, and Shikaku's guard were standing solemnly at his back and to his side. The Kazekage sat next to him, eyes narrowed on the fight between Naruto and Neji.

It seemed like the Hyuuga kid had a lot of issues, not that Shikaku could exactly blame him for being angry. He made a mental note to talk to Hiashi about it after this cluster of a situation was finished.

Movement inside his robe pocket reminded him of his stow away. He hoped Manto, his best information gatherer out of all his summons, hadn't already run out of earthworms to eat. Moles got so cranky when they were hungry.

Then he tried not to scowl at the reminder that there were live worms being chomped on in the pocket of his robes. The things he did for his village.

He propped his cheek on his fist, held up by an elbow on the arm rest of his uncomfortable chair, and ignored Genma's amused look at his slumped posture from where he stood at his side. Next to him the Kazekage remained silent, and Shikaku resisted the urge to pout at the confirmation of his suspicions. Rasa had never remained silent when he felt that somebody was trampling all over ceremony.

His lips quirked up when Naruto laid out Neji. Sure Shikaku felt for the kid, but he had been getting a little annoying with all the monologuing. Shikaku wondered if he could convince Jiraiya to take Naruto on as an apprentice after this.

He would have asked Kakashi, but he needed the man on hand to help with Sasuke's training, if the boy decided to stick around. Shikaku thought that there was probably a 50/50 chance at this point that he'd take Shikaku's offer. It all depended on whether Itachi got Shikaku's message or not.

Shikamaru's match was next and Shikaku leaned forward, mouth quirking up as Naruto pushed his son over the edge of the balcony and sent him tumbling into the arena. He'd never say it out loud, since it would break his cool and apathetic image, but he generally found his son's antics adorable. It was part of why he actively tried to rile him up at times, and mostly why he never took him to task for his laziness.

He already knew that the Sand kunoichi would be outwitted by Shikamaru, that was a given, so he wasn't stressed. Still, it would be interesting to see what he came up with.

Shikaku found Nariko in the crowd after Shikamaru made a comment about not wanting to lose to a girl, and chuckled at the scowl on her face. He was sure she'd find a way to make him pay for that comment, though she was generally more subtle in her approach than her aunt when it came to revenge.

As Temari tried to gauge the reach of Shikamaru's shadow, Shikaku made a small hidden motion to his guard. They didn't react, but when Jiraiya looked over his eyes landed on Genma for just a moment. He then nodded and started to slowly make his way towards the door to the arena.

Shikaku wondered if Yoshino would make his favorite meal if he managed to stop an invasion. And then maybe after she would...

His attention was brought back to his son's fight when Genma chuckled behind him and said, "Cute."

Shikaku watched the little parachute his son had made out of his shirt float across the arena. Yep, cute was right.

Shikaku allowed himself a self-satisfied smile when Temari was finally caught in Shikamaru's shadow a few minutes later. There, now his advisors would hopefully stop making pointed comments about Shikamaru's mediocrity.

Shikamaru surprised everybody when he forfeited, and Shikaku's eyes narrowed. His son might have realized there was something more going on in this exam, if he wanted to conserve chakra.

Shikaku stretched when Sasuke finally arrived with his perpetually-late sensei, sighing when multiple joints popped. Getting old was a drag. Next to him the Kazekage jolted at the cracking sound.

Shikaku raised an eyebrow as Sasuke sped across the arena, avoiding Gaara's sand attacks. His speed had increased exponentially in just a month's time. Kakashi's training methods had been more than effective.

He was surprised enough to straighten from his slouch when Sasuke's hand lit up in the Chidori. Yes, Sasuke would make an exceptional student.

Right after that thought crossed his mind, all hell broke loose.

 

000

 

Nariko stood back to back with her team, bokken in her hands and Suoh at her side. She tried not to focus on the worry that Hinata's heart would give out under the strain of fighting. They really didn't have a choice but to engage at this point.

An explosion sounded from where Shikaku had been sitting. There was already a hole in the roof of the arena where the monster Gaara had become had slammed through it.

Around them, most of the spectators were asleep from the genjutsu that had been cast. Hinata and Suoh hadn't been taken in by it, and had woken Shino and Nariko only seconds after they fell asleep.

What had a few minutes ago been normal audience members were now shedding robes and jackets to reveal Sand and Sound shinobi in battle gear. High level Konoha shinobi were already engaging, also having been hidden throughout the arena.

"The village must have suspected an attack was coming," Shino said.

Nariko's eyes went to where the competitors had been, and she jolted when she saw Team Seven minus Sasuke and Shikamaru go over the side of the balcony and head for the hole in the ceiling, ostensibly to chase after the three Sand ninja. She turned away - she couldn't worry about that now.

"Hinata," she said. "Let's find Konoha shinobi who fell under the genjutsu. You can wake them up while Shino, Suoh and I cover you. Can you do that without overexerting yourself?"

"Yes," Hinata said, voice steady.

Nariko didn't have time to question her further as two ninja with Sand hitai-ate attacked. Nariko spun, crouching down and then springing upwards, jabbing a bokken towards one of their exposed throats. A collapsed airway, she knew, was just as effective as a slit throat to subdue an enemy.

He leaned back and the sword passed centimeters above his nose. She didn't bother with a follow-up, as Suoh had already taken the man's distraction as a chance to snap at his exposed neck.

She swallowed at the sound of tearing flesh and cartilage being crushed, then glanced at Shino. His opponent was on his knees, covered in kikaichu and bleeding from what Nariko assumed were a few puncture wounds from Shino's stilettos.

Hinata had gone to wake up two chunin that Nariko recognized from the gate's guardhouse. Reassured that Hinata was safe, she turned, lifting her bokken up to knock three shuriken out of the air.

The woman who had thrown them was crouched on the ledge of the balcony, hand still extended. She let out a sound of alarm as Shino's kikaichu swarmed her. Suoh grabbed her leg in already-bloody teeth and pulled. She fell backwards into the arena, and Nariko heard her hit the ground below, probably too disoriented and drained of chakra to catch herself.

Nariko spun when she heard movement and saw another kunoichi heading for Hinata, who was now about twenty feet away, kneeling over another young Konoha nin.

Nariko took a few running steps, then used the seat of one of the benches to launch herself into the air. The blonde kunoichi - who Nariko could now see was from Sound village - turned as she caught sight of Nariko flying towards her, bokken pulled back, ready to strike.

The Sound kunoichi brought two kunai up to block the wooden weapons, the force of Nariko's blow driving her backwards. Nariko disengaged, swinging at her open side with the bokken in her right hand while blocking a blow from the kunoichi with her left.

She brought her knee up, aiming for the woman's stomach, but she spun away from it. Nariko followed her, bokken blurring into a pattern of rapid-fire blows that Bunko-sensei had been drilling into her.

The kunoichi blocked most of them, though her face twisted in pain when Nariko scored a hit on her elbow. The feeling of success was short lived when she was hit from the side by something.

As she slammed into a bench with enough force to crack it, ribs protesting and her face exploding in pain as it slammed off the edge of the wood, she thought  _you always forget to keep an eye on your environment._

She ignored the pain - it was superficial, really - and staggered to her feet. The Sound kunoichi was already attacking, one of her comrades, a short man with brown hair and strange blue markings on his face, moving in to back her up.

Nariko brought her bokken up - which she hadn't dropped, Bunko would be so proud - but Suoh was already there, slamming into the Kunoichi and sending them both rolling across the floor.

Nariko engaged with the brunette shinobi, doing her best not to step on or maim the still-sleeping bodies around them. She wished she and Suoh could do their clan techniques, but there was no way they wouldn't end up hurting a civilian while they were right in the middle of the seating area.

She finally landed a hit on his knee, the smacking sound accompanied by a crack and cut off scream as his knee cap was broken. Suoh appeared, having dispatched of the other kunoichi, and Nariko swallowed as the shinobi's blood splashed across her chest and neck.

Hinata and Shino moved back to her sides, and this time they were accompanied by the ninja Hinata had woken. Their group had attracted attention, though, and they were soon surrounded by five enemy nin.

They were forced to scatter as one lifted a tube to his mouth and blew through it. A wave of sound obliterated everything in its path, splintering wood and sending unconscious bodies flying, and Nariko wasn't fast enough to completely avoid it. Her ears rang, and she gasped in pain as she was slammed against the low wall of the balcony.

Suoh was next to her, shaking his head and trying to stagger to his feet. There was blood coming from both his ears, and she could feel a warm stickiness running down the left side of her neck accompanied by a lack of sound, as well. At least her right ear was still semi-functional.

A man with long black hair and a sharp grin attacked them with a longsword, and Nariko barely managed to deflect it from Suoh with her bokken, which splintered under the pressure of the thick steel blade.

She dropped the now-useless weapon and stood slammed the other one into the side of his head. He staggered and tripped over a piece of rubble that had fallen from the ceiling at one point. She took his distraction as a chance to grab two chakra pills from her pouch.

Suoh was looking at her, so she tossed one to him, and he clumsily snapped it out of the air, aim a little off from his damaged ears. She dodged the long haired nin's sword as he regained his balance and slashed at her, and popped her own in her mouth. There were no longer any civilians around, thanks to the sound wave attack launching them away from the area.

Her body came alive with the added chakra. "Human Beast Clone Technique," she growled, and a moment later she was flying towards her enemy, Suoh flanking his other side as a perfect replica of her.

He ducked Suoh's leap, spinning and then lifting his leg into a kick that hit Nariko in her stomach. She twisted in midair, landing on the side of the balcony wall in a crouch before sending herself shooting back towards him.

Suoh had turned and was running on all fours at him, lips pulled back to reveal bloody teeth. Nariko dodged to the side when the shinobi brought his sword up, barely feeling it when it glanced across her side, slicing through clothing and skin alike. Her nails raked down his face and he jumped backwards with a curse as blood bloomed and began flowing freely from the sliced skin.

He opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was blood as a dagger embedded itself in his throat. Nariko frowned and looked over her shoulder. There - balanced on the balcony was Biro-sensei, dressed in his usual black, looking unusually cheerful.

He gave her a small wave. "It was nice knowing you. Look me up if you're even in tea country," he said, then jumped backwards and disappeared into the arena.

Nariko turned back to the fight, shaking her head. Looks like they were less a sensei, if he actually managed to escape in this chaos.

Their group was losing - two of the people Hinata had woken were now lying on the floor, either dead or unconscious. Everybody else was looking worse for wear, though only two of the enemy shinobi were left.

One of them was the one with the odd pipe, and he lifted it to his lips, aiming for where Shino was helping a shaky Hinata to her feet. Nariko reached into her pouch for a kunai, but she didn't need it.

An ANBU appeared behind the enemy nin and performed hand signs so quickly that his fingers were a blur. A spray of mud erupted from behind them, encasing them in a thick layer of the sticky substance. It hardened almost instantaneously, leaving only vaguely human-shaped lumps where the two shinobi had been.

"Thank you," Hinata said after a moment of shocked silence.

Before he could answer there were the sounds of gasps and screams from the arena. Nariko turned and dashed to lean over the cracked balcony, and she put a hand over her mouth when she saw what was happening.

Standing in the middle of the arena was Shikaku, who was being held hostage by the Kazekage. He somehow managed to look composed and unconcerned, even with a blade to his throat.

His guard was trying to fight through multiple Sand and Sound nin that were doing their level best to force them back. The sickly proctor was laying out the enemy nin around him with prejudice, sword dancing in an impressive display that had Nariko feeling slightly envious.

Outside the arena Nariko could hear the sounds of screaming and loud explosions, but barely spared a thought for what it meant. If Shikaku died...the thought was more upsetting than she would have though for how little time she'd known the man.

Four enemy ninja separated from the rest and moved to stand in a slightly crooked square around them. Nariko's eyes widened as they performed some sort of jutsu and a large blue barrier formed around the two Kage.

Shikaku still didn't move. The Kazekage reached up and pulled off his hat and what looked like a layer of skin. Nariko blinked at what was revealed.

Standing behind Shikaku, pressing the blade into his throat, was an unassuming familiar-looking boy in glasses with white hair. Wasn't the Kazekage a redhead? And at least Shikaku's age?

"He was in the genin exams," Hinata whispered, and Nariko was able to recall a fuzzy memory of him bowing out of the exams after the Forest of Death.

Shikaku chose that moment to make his move, doing a complicated twist while grabbing the man's hand that ended with him standing twenty feet away from his former captor, unharmed. His guards were trying and failing to get to him through the barrier, and Nariko had to force back a noise of distress.

One ear was still ringing from the attack the Sound ninja had used, but she still heard Shikaku well enough when he spoke, thanks to the extra chakra she was feeding into her ear.

"Kabuto, right? I suppose it was originally supposed to be Orochimaru who impersonated the Kazekage. Rasa is probably dead, huh? No way would he approve such an idiotic plan if he were alive."

The Sand shinobi, who had stopped along with everybody else to watch the drama unfold, seemed to jolt in surprise as one. One or two dropped to their knees, faces twisted in expressions of anguish.

Casually, Shikaku undid his robes and slid them off his arms, then tossed them behind him so they landed next to one of the walls of the barrier. Nariko frowned - had she heard an angry-sounding squeak coming from them when they hit the ground? She shook it off as the ringing in her ear playing tricks on her and focused back on Shikaku.

He was wearing a flak jacket over the top of a see-through mesh shirt, standard black pants, and a deerskin vest. Nariko thought he looked fierce, and kind of handsome. Of course, she might just have a preference for the Nara physique.

"You knew this was coming," Kabuto said, tilting his head to the side. "No matter. Your guard cannot get past this barrier, and I've been assured that you're not nearly as deadly as your predecessors."

He removed his own robes, revealing a simple high collared vest over a white t-shirt with bandages wrapped around his middle.

Shikaku shrugged. "Perhaps not. I don't have to be to defeat a punk like you, though."

Kabuto's eyes narrowed, and his lips turned up into a derisive smile.

"Hmm," was his reply.

He attacked. Shikaku easily avoided his blows. The ANBU that saved them had at some point moved to join her, mask turned towards the fight.

Hinata gasped when Shikaku sent Kabuto sailing through the air, body being flipped and sliced by his wind jutsu. He landed in a crumpled ball on the ground, blood seeping from multiple cuts.

There was a disturbed rush of movement in the crowd when his body began shaking, soon joined by the sound of laughter. Kabuto stood, and Nariko watched in fascinated horror as his cuts began to heal.

Snakes emerged from the ground and tried to wrap around Shikaku's body, but he rolled away, coming up on his feet and sending shadows racing towards a now-healed Kabuto. When they reached him he froze for only a few seconds before melting into a pile of mud.

"Clone," The ANBU grunted.

Nariko frowned when she realized he sounded familiar. Come to think of it, he  _smelled_ familiar too. A few heartbeats later and it clicked. Her jaw dropped and she turned to look at him, but her attention was immediately pulled back to the arena when screams erupted.

Kabuto had ascended from the ground behind Shikaku and jammed a kunai into his kidney.

"No!" one of the guards yelled.

His smile was joyful, the light glinting off his glasses giving him a manic air. "You killed my teacher, and now I have -"

Shikaku exploded. Kabuto was thrown backwards, body flailing until it hit the wall of the barrier with a wet  _thump,_ then slid to the ground. Nariko wrinkled her nose when she saw that the hand that had been holding the kunai was now just a bloody stump, ending just below the elbow.

"That's my cue," the ANBU said with a deep sigh, and Nariko glared at him.

"You're a jerk," she grumbled, and he let out a laugh before leaping over the balcony to land in front of the barrier.

The ninja in the arena were looking at each other, unsure what to do. All of the Sound shinobi had been killed or knocked unconscious, and the Sand nin had simply given up and surrendered when they realized their leader wasn't their leader at all.

The ANBU removed his cloak first, revealing well-muscled tan arms and a slim body encased in a sleeveless black top. Without the hood, the hair was an immediate giveaway, and by the time he'd casually taken off his mask and tossed it to the side, his guard had already joined him.

They looked annoyed enough that Nariko assumed they hadn't known that the kidnapped Shikaku wasn't the real Shikaku at all. In the arena Kabuto's body twitched, and Nariko wrinkled her nose. His healing was a useful but semi-disturbing ability.

"He wasn't in there at all," Hinata said, voice low and shaky.

"He must have been a clone the whole time," Shino agreed. "Our Hokage is truly a superior strategist."

Nariko nodded absently. He was also kind of an asshole sometimes, it turned out. Letting all of his shinobi think he was going to die even for a moment was...kind of horrible. She sighed. Well, at least he wasn't  _actually_ dead, that would be much worse.

"Alright," Shikaku said as Akimichi Chouza and Yamanaka Ino landed next to him, one with a chastising look and the other just plain looking murderous. Nariko added them to the growing list of people who hadn't known Shikaku wasn't dying until he exploded.

"Obviously there's been a miscommunication, here. Sand shinobi. Your kage is dead, his identity stolen and used to incite war between us. Figure out who the highest ranking member of your forces are, and have them surrender within the next hour. If you don't, I'll kill each and every one of you and then my shinobi will go and burn your village to the ground."

His voice was mild, but there was steel beneath it, and Nariko swallowed. She didn't doubt he'd do it, though it didn't seem like it would go that far.

A man was already rising to his feet, hands up, allowing himself to be surrounded and patted down. Nariko recognized him as the jounin sensei of the three Sand genin.

"Alright. I'm guessing our friend back there is about to make an escape. No, no don't bother trying to stop him," he said as the barrier went down and one of the nin helped Kabuto stand. He performed some signs one-handed, and all of them disappeared beneath the ground.

"So dramatic," Shikaku grumbled, and put his hands in his pockets.

Inoichi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose and Chouza looked amused. Shikaku just started rattling off instructions in a bored tone.

"All able bodied chunin and jounin not dealing with the prisoners. Go assist with your comrades that are still fighting outside. I want all medics to start dealing with the wounded. You," he pointed to the Sand jounin-sensei. "You're coming with me to order your troops to cease and desist. Then we'll have our conversation."

Nariko almost felt sorry for the Sand shinobi. Almost.

 

000

 

Shikaku watched his son and Ino fuss over Nariko's bruised face and bandaged side as they stepped into the beehive of activity that was his office. She was doing her best to assure them that she was fine, and for the most part she was, outside of being a little beaten up. He'd made her sit through a field exam with a medic the moment he'd had a chance.

Shikamaru was exhausted and bruised but looked otherwise fine. He'd asked Ino and Nariko to find him and bring him to Shikaku's office, mostly because he had to see for himself that his son had made it through the invasion mostly unscathed. Asuma had told him it'd been close.

If the irritated expression on Shikamaru's face coupled with the long suffering sigh he gave as Nariko rubbed salve onto one of his bruises was any indication, he wasn't overly injured or traumatized.

Still, Shikaku broke away from Kakashi at the sight of him, cutting the man off mid-sentence, and strode across the room to pull his son into an embrace. Shikamaru flailed a little before slumping against him, apparently giving in to his fate of being hugged by his father in front of all of the village's highest ranking shinobi.

"Asuma said you did well, son."

"Nariko said you're a jerk," Shikamaru retorted.

Well, she wasn't wrong, though she had the grace to look sheepish at his son's words.

Shikaku pushed him back so he could run his eyes over him. He finally released the tension he'd been holding in his shoulders since he'd been told Shikamaru had gone running off after a rogue jinchuuriki. What a mess.

"Alright. I want you to gather as many of your friends that can still walk as possible, and lead the clean up efforts in sector three," he said, motioning towards a marked map that had been hastily hung on the wall. He fought to keep the smirk off his face at Shikamaru's look of horror. Adorable.

"Right now we just need the more hazardous issues dealt with. Take notes on which buildings need repair, which will most likely have to be torn down and rebuilt, and which are still habitable."

Shikamaru slumped. "Fine," he grumbled, and swiped the clipboard from the hands of one of Shikaku's hovering assistants with more attitude than was strictly necessary.

Nariko sidled up next to him, a small, mischievous smile on her face that reminded Shikaku painfully of her father. She then leaned forward so her lips were only a few inches from Shikamaru's ear. He glanced over at her, brows furrowed in question.

"Can I be on your team, Shikamaru-taicho?" she asked in a sugary-sweet tone, batting her eyelashes.

Shikamaru jolted before turning a bright red from his hairline all the way down to his shirt collar. Ino burst into loud laughter, Shikamaru's face twisted into a scowl, and Nariko giggled.

Shikaku couldn't help it - for the first time in weeks, he laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters!
> 
> Also I'm going to attempt to be a grown up here and have an actual posting schedule. I'm thinking...every Thursday. :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Shikaku is working hard to get the village back on track after the past few months of drama, and Nariko and Shikamaru take some time for themselves. Also, Jiraiya discovers that Shikaku is a different sort of Hokage, and he's not sure he likes it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at that, I'm KEEPING TO AN UPDATE SCHEDULE, I'm so grown up.

Shikaku looked up when Genma knocked on his office door and opened it. He stuck his head in and raised an eyebrow.

Shikaku sighed. "I have ink on my face, don't I?"

Genma's smooth smile was all the answer he needed. You take one nap at your desk, and everybody judges you. Genma pointed at a spot on his cheek, and Shikaku scrubbed at the corresponding area on his own face.

"You're good," Genma said after he gave him a questioning glance. "The Sand Contingent is here. You ready to see them?"

"Yeah, go get Kakashi-san for me, too, will you?"

Genma nodded, then opened the door all the way and ushered Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro inside. Shikaku watched them, taking in the way Temari stared at the floor and Kankuro fidgeted. Gaara's face was blank, but he looked less...crazy than he had a month ago.

"Welcome back to Konoha," Shikaku said, voice dry, and Temari's cheeks turned a little red.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," she said politely, then elbowed Kankuro, who started and then bowed.

Gaara inclined his head, though he kept his eyes focused on Shikaku the whole time. Kakashi came ambling in just after they finished the polite small talk portion of the conversation and closed the door behind him.

"Alright," Shikaku said. "We've got a lot to talk about, but first thing's first. How do you feel about Otogakure?"

Temari's eyes narrowed and she studied Shikaku's face. Gaara's sand rustled around his legs before settling, and Kankuro scowled.

"Ah. Good, that's what I was hoping. Tell you what, you and that sensei of yours go along with the force we're sending to take it out, and I won't demand half your missions for the next decade be redirected to my shinobi as recompense for your village's betrayal."

Temari's jaw dropped, Kankuro choked on his spit, and Shikaku leaned back, enjoying their reactions. He'd already discussed this with Kakashi, of course, so his jounin commander simply leaned against the wall and started reading his porn.

"I thought nobody knew where it was at, or anything about it at all," Temari finally said.

Shikaku shrugged. "I have my ways," he said, properly mysterious.

It sounded much cooler than 'adorable insect-obsessed creatures found it for me.' Suna never needed to know that his ANBU had spent three days searching for enough worms to pay off his summons for their spy work.

Manto had hidden away in one of Kabuto's pockets before he'd escaped from the exams, then summoned his brothers and sisters to him to do some recon on the enemy village.

Shikaku casually moved a folder to hide the report on his desk detailing the sudden and alarming decrease in the village's earthworm population from the baffled Aburame clan. Maybe he'd send Shikamaru out there to calm them down.

"I..." Temari said, looking for just a moment like the fifteen year old kid she was. Then her face hardened and she tilted her chin up.

"We're in," she said.

000

Sasuke's eyes shot open and he gripped the kunai that was already in his hand. Somebody was in his room with him.

"I'm not here to attack you, little brother," an amused voice said.

He inhaled sharply and sat up, searching the room until he saw the figure standing in the corner, mostly hidden by shadow.

"Itachi?"

When his brother stepped out so that the moonlight hit his face, Sasuke swallowed, hatred and fear and love and anger tangling up inside of him, leaving him shaking and frozen. Would he never be able to stand up to this man?

Itachi cocked his head to the side, face older than it once was, thin where before he'd been the perfect image of health, but still recognizable.

"You have grown," Itachi said, echoing his own thoughts.

"It's been a long time," Sasuke replied.

They stared at each other until Itachi sighed and walked over to sit on the end of the bed. Sasuke scooted back, wary, until he was leaning against the headboard. The man who had killed his parents, his clan, was sitting only feet from him, and he  _didn't know what to do._

"I hear you've had a busy few months," Itachi said, and Sasuke snorted.

"You could say that." His hand tightened on his kunai. "Why didn't you try and find another way?  _Any_ other way? I would have rather Danzo killed me than live through...that."

Itachi looked down at his feet. "I am selfish, I suppose, and could not imagine a world without you in it. The peace I dreamed of meant nothing if you were not a part of it. More simply put, I was afraid."

Sasuke took a shuddering breath, then swung his legs over the side of his bed, standing and moving to his closet. Itachi watched him, still serene in the way that Sasuke remembered from his childhood.

"Shikaku-sama sent me a message," Itachi said as Sasuke pulled out his bag.

He grunted in reply as he started loading his extra boxes of kunai and senbon into it.

"He told me about the deal he offered you. He asked me to come here in case you chose to leave, as he did not want you traveling alone."

Sasuke scowled. "He thinks I can't handle myself?"

Itachi hummed, and Sasuke knew that meant he thought he was being immature. How did he still know what his brother's noises meant after all these years?

"Sasuke. You should stay and become his apprentice. You cannot come with me."

Sasuke paused mid-motion, shirt halfway off a hanger, and looked down at the ground, ignoring the way his vision blurred.

"You don't want me."

"It is not about that. I am being hunted, now. I dare not stay here and draw the eyes of Akatsuki onto Konoha. She is not ready to defend an attack from them. And I do not think I could keep both of us safe on the road. Not from this opponent."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Where will you go?"

"I am going to travel around the Elemental Nations to try and take out members of Akatsuki and some of their networks. Send news to Shikaku-sama where I can."

"You can't leave me in this...this nest of vipers," Sasuke spat, and Itachi looked out the window at the peaceful garden that he had been keeping groomed for the past six years.

"Surely, they are not all bad? The new Hokage, in particular, seems invested in creating a better village. Though he's only one man, of course," he said a little too mildly.

Sasuke scoffed. "So, what, you want me to stay and help him  _fix_ it?"

Itachi gave a delicate shrug. "I know of no better way to honor our parents."

Itachi didn't flinch when Sasuke blurred across the room and put the edge of his blade against his throat. His Sharingan had activated without his permission, and his lips were pulled back, baring his teeth.

"Don't talk about them. You - you don't get to talk about them!" he screamed, and pressed down a little harder.

His hand was shaking, and though part of him wanted to slit Itachi's throat, he wasn't able to go through with it. He dropped his hand to the side and took a step back. They were both silent for a long moment, aware of the fact that Sasuke had been disturbingly close to killing his brother, and that Itachi would have let him.

"I think you can see that coming with me isn't an option. Your place is here, as the last loyal and sane Uchiha," Itachi finally said.

Sasuke glared at nothing. Relief and rejection were both running through him in equal measure, and Itachi sighed. Then Sasuke felt two familiar fingers against his forehead, and he turned wide eyes to Itachi, whose lips were pulled up into a painful smile.

"Still my foolish little brother. You are not alone here. You have people who care. Don't push them away."

He disappeared in a whorl of leaves and Sasuke was left staring at the spot where he'd been, questioning whether the encounter had happened at all.

After a few minutes he turned back to his bag, and started to unpack it.

000

Shikaku was almost home after a long day of strategy meetings with Kakashi, Asuma, and the Suna Contingent. He had been impressed by them - especially by Temari. That girl was intelligent and ruthless. She'd make a good jounin commander for her Kage one day.

He tilted his head to the side and let out a dramatic sigh. The ANBU that were always shadowing him blurred to his side just as a figure stepped out of the trees. He gave them a lazy wave of dismissal, and Rooster turned towards him, somehow looking incredulous while wearing a mask. The ANBU stayed where they were. Stubborn.

"Itachi-san. Long time no see," Shikaku said.

"Nara-sama. It's good to see you well."

Shikaku studied Itachi closely. The last time he'd seen him he was a somber, solemn waif of a boy. Now he was a somber, solemn waif of a man. It was hard to believe he was one of the deadliest shinobi alive.

"If you're not feeling well, you should go see Tsunade-sama. I'll send a message letting her know that I approved it." Next to him Rooster twitched slightly at the thought of collecting more earthworms for one of his messenger moles.

"Perhaps," Itachi said, and Shikaku already knew he wouldn't take the offer.

Not that he blamed him. Tsunade would probably give him quite the beatdown before grudgingly healing him. Shikaku doubted she'd changed that much in the years she'd been gone.

Shikaku stepped forward, sending his ANBU exasperated looks when they shuffled along right next to him, close enough to touch. He waved them away, and they all backed off by about three inches. Troublesome.

Itachi's face didn't change as he moved into step next to him, but Shikaku thought he might be a little amused. Shikaku remained relaxed, but he didn't put his hands back in his pockets.

He was almost positive that Itachi was on Konoha's side, but he was also certain that Itachi was not all there mentally. He also knew that he'd kill Shikaku without remorse if he thought it was for the good of his brother or the village.

"So, how'd your talk with Sasuke go?"

Itachi's eyes darted over to his face before moving forward again. Shikaku turned down a trail that led away from his house. He didn't want this man anywhere near his wife or child, even if he did feel a large amount of empathy and guilt around his situation. Itachi didn't comment on the direction change.

"You knew I was here?"

Shikaku shrugged. "I've tightened security," he said, pointedly not looking at the men who were responsible for feeding that 'security.'

Itachi hummed, but Shikaku couldn't get a read on how he felt about his appearance in the village not going unnoted. Shikaku had taken a chance letting him see Sasuke, of course, but he knew the only person who could convince the boy to stay in Konoha was his brother.

"It went as well as can be expected."

"He the one that gave you that cut on your neck?" It was either that or another S-ranked threat was running about his village, putting shallow cuts in criminals.

"He did," Itachi confirmed, sounding amused and fond of all things. Uchiha were so unbalanced.

"He's agreed to stay. I hope you'll take good care of him," he said mildly, but Shikaku heard the implied  _so that I won't have to feed you your own intestines._

"Aa. I plan on it," he said, because it was the truth.

Shikaku loved it when his plans came together.

"Alright. Then I will take my leave. I'll send you messages -"

"Wait," Shikaku said, and reached into the inner pocket of his robes.

Itachi stiffened, then relaxed when Shikaku pulled it back out to reveal a grunting mole. She fit perfectly in the palm of Shikaku's hand, and he tried not to look too fondly at her pointed nose and dorky mole grin. He held her out to Itachi, who took the small animal from him warily.

"Her name is Mio. She can communicate across distances with her siblings, who are with me. Keep her with you - she likes to eat at least ten earthworms a day. Keep up with her appetite and she'll be a good ally."

Itachi's lip twitched up on one side as she placed her huge front paws on his palm and stretched up to sniff at him.

"Worms," she squeaked, and Shikaku's inner teenaged girl squealed at the cuteness.

Even Itachi looked slightly charmed. Well, he looked less like a statue, anyway. Shikaku's ANBU had the blackest of hearts, if the dark aura they sent towards the creature was any indication.

Itachi didn't bother saying goodbye. He disappeared in a flock of crows, and Shikaku sighed as a feather floated down and stuck in his hair. Damn dramatic Uchiha.

Hopefully he wouldn't be too mad when Mio asked him to help out with the destruction of Otogakure. It's not like the man had anything better to do except brood about the fleeting nature of life, or whatever it was Uchiha thought about.

Dealing with Itachi's strangeness was a small price to pay to have him working directly for the good of Konoha again. Shikaku hadn't yet told Jiraiya he'd be sticking around the village for another six months or so to work with Naruto, but with Itachi out there looking for leads on the Akatsuki he could be spared from his duties as spymaster for awhile. Maybe Naruto could even go on a small trip or two with him.

He turned and made his way towards home, wondering how long of a lecture he'd get for his lateness from him wife. The life of a Hokage was indeed a hard one.

000

Nariko found Shikamaru on his cloud watching hill. They hadn't seen each other for a few days, since everybody was busy with missions and rebuilding from the attack.

He was lying on the ground, eyes closed and breathing even. She sat down next to him and he twitched.

"If my father sent you here with a task for me, you never found me," he said.

Nariko grinned. "No tasks, just your poor girlfriend, looking for attention from the village's newest chunin."

His eyes opened halfway and he turned to take her in. He blinked once, slowly, and sat up.

"You're carrying your mother's kodachi," he said, and she smiled at him.

"Bunko-sensei told me I was ready. That I fought well in the invasion, and the cracking of my bokken against a real foe was the last step." She shrugged, pleased.

His lips curled up into a half smile, and he turned to face her. They were both sitting cross legged, knees brushing, and she leaned forward to rest her elbows on her thighs.

"The vest looks good on you," she said, and was delighted when he blushed and looked away, grumbling about extra work.

Nariko bit her lip, wondering if she really had the courage to ask for what she'd come here about. She'd even left Suoh at home, who had just given her a judging look at her stuttered excuses and rolled over to go to sleep.

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked, and when she glanced up at him he was studying her intently.

"Oh, well. I wanted to ask you something," she said, aware that her cheeks were red beneath her clan markings.

He raised an eyebrow, looking interested in whatever it was that was causing her to react this way. She looked down at her hands and narrowed her eyes. She could do this. The worst that would happen is that he would say no.

She took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Would you kiss me?"

Shikamaru went completely still and she struggled not to squirm. It was a perfectly normal thing to ask of her boyfriend, right? Was she being too forward?

"Alright," he said, pulling her from her thoughts, and cleared his throat.

"Oh. Um, alright," she repeated.

They both leaned forward, and Nariko could hear his heart beating as fast as her own. He put a hand on her cheek, and she felt his breath on her lips just as she closed her eyes.

His lips were warm and slightly rough against her own, and he only kept them there for a few seconds before pulling back. Despite how short it had been, Nariko felt giddy and flushed when she opened her eyes.

He was watching her closely from where he'd gone back into a sitting position. She must have looked as pleased as she felt, because his shoulders relaxed and that now-familiar self-satisfied expression that he and his father tended to wear made an appearance.

She smiled, chest warming. He didn't expect it when she tackled him, and he flailed and yelped, all smugness fading from his countenance at the indignity of the action. Once he was lying flat on his back, glaring up at the sky, she slid to the side and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's all going to okay, isn't it?" she asked, and he glanced over at her.

"Aa," he agreed, running the back of one knuckle down her cheek. "I think it is."

000

Jiraiya stared at his Hokage, annoyed and amused in equal measure.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, could you repeat that?"

Shikaku sighed, as though  _Jiraiya_ was the one making unreasonable requests, and leaned back in his chair.

"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate. Our Medic Corps was already depleted from the attack, and now the leader of it has gone and had a heart attack. There's no one else talented enough to replace him.

"Half our forces are on their way to take out Otogakure, and most of our talented medics are with them. I don't doubt there will be casualties. I can't afford to let her continue on as she has. I need her here."

Jiraiya looked down at his mission scroll. "I've tried," he said, voice tired. "You know I have. She doesn't want to come back."

"Well, this time I'm sending you with backup," Shikaku said lightly, and motioned for Jiraiya to read the scroll.

"You have got to be kidding me," he finally said. "What do you expect Naruto and his pink-haired teammate to do that I can't?"

Shikaku's lips quirked up on one side. "Naruto's a lot like his father, and Sakura's a smart girl. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Alright, now, go on, you've got a mission to prepare for," he said, and made a flapping motion with his hand.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, but he knew a lost fight when he saw one. Nara Shikaku was not somebody to refuse lightly, with or without the Hokage title.

Well, Jiraiya could use a vacation anyway. He'd take the squirt and his teammate on this mission, and when they came back sans Tsunade, nobody could say he didn't try. If they stopped at a few bathhouses on the way, well...he giggled to himself as he exited the tower, ignoring the disturbed looks he garnered.

Who knew, maybe this would be fun.

000

It wasn't fun. Jiraiya knew it wasn't going to be around the time Naruto challenged Tsunade for saying that only an idiot would want to be in any type of leadership position in Konoha.

Then Sakura had stared at her with wide, hero-worshipping eyes after she created a crater by punching the ground in a fit of temper and promptly started following the woman around everywhere she went. Including gambling dens.

Meanwhile Naruto was exhausting himself trying to master Rasengan in a week. All of this meant Jiraiya had no time for bathhouses. He missed his nice, easy going sensei. Sarutobi-sensei had never forced Jiraiya to do things like this when he was Hokage. Then he shied away from memories of his teacher, as they were still too painful to contemplate.

The whole situation had just reached epic proportions of disaster, and Jiraiya wondered how he'd forgotten the spectacularly bad luck that followed Team Seven around. Of  _course_ they were being attacked by a notorious criminal group that wanted to spirit Naruto away. What else would they be doing on a Saturday morning?

He grabbed Sakura and Naruto and leapt into the air to avoid being caught in the swell of water heading towards them. His feet touched the ground, and he ignored the indignant squirming of the two genin in favor of dancing out of the way as the creepy white and black creature tried to grab his ankles.

Jiraiya was strong - there weren't many foes that could boast having the power to take him down. But it was two against one, and Hoshigaki Kisame was no lightweight. His partner was annoyingly resilient and Jiraiya was forced to focus on protecting his wards more than attacking.

He was going to lose this fight if he didn't come up with some amazing last ditch effort slash miracle. Five minutes later he was trapped in a water prison, attempting avoid the shark summons trying to chomp him.

He watched as Naruto fended off an attack from Hoshigaki with Shadow Clones while Sakura guarded his back, kunai shaking in her hand but expression determined. His only thoughts were a desperate repeat of  _No, not another student, not another one -_

When Tsunade arrived and punched through the clone holding Jiraiya captive in the modified water prison, he'd never been so thankful to see somebody in his life. She glared down at him and cracked her knuckles.

"Can't you do anything on your own?" she muttered, and he grinned up at her.

Their moment was broken when Naruto yelled "Rasengan!"

They both turned in time to see Hoshigaki's water clone pop out of existence as it came into contact with the whirling blue jutsu in Naruto's hand.

Tsunade sighed, muttering about lost bets, then pulled up her sleeves and entered the fray. Jiraiya stood and followed, sending earth bullets to rip apart the grasping stretch of plants that tried to grab her. With his teammate by his side, this fight would end sooner rather than later.

Or it would have, if Kisame hadn't succeeded in grazing Jiraiya with his sword and sending a spray of blood across Tsunade's face. Shizune cried out from where she was guarding Naruto and Sakura when Tsunade froze, wide-eyed and shaking.

Jiraiya tried to move to cover her, but the odd creature whom Hoshigaki had called Zetsu blocked him. He could only watch, horrified, as Hoshigaki sped towards her, Samehada pulled back and ready to swing down.

Then Naruto was there, pushing her out of the way.

"No!" Jiraiya yelled, sending Zetsu flying away from him with blast of wind.

A moment later Jiraiya slammed into Kisame, rage flowing through him as he saw Naruto fall to his knees, blood flowing steadily from a nasty wound in his side.

He could only hope that the fox would be able to heal him. Though with Samehada eating chakra along with slicing a chunk out of him...he forced his mind back onto the fight.

No longer impeded by two genin, he started throwing jutsu after jutsu at the man, who was struggling to keep up. When he tried to come in close, Jiraiya ducked his swing and hit him hard with a kick to his middle, sending him sliding backwards across the water.

After he recovered his balance, Hoshigaki glanced behind Jiraiya's shoulder and his eyes widened minutely.

"Well, I think I can tell when I'm beaten," the man said. "Zetsu, we're leaving."

Jiraiya stepped forward. "Now wait a minute -"

It was too late. Zetsu emerged from the ground and wrapped Kisame in multiple threads of white and black that grew from his already grotesque body, and they both disappeared underground.

"Dammit," Jiraiya growled, and turned around to see what had sent Kisame running.

He paused, blinking rapidly in shock. Kneeling next to Naruto, hands green and face determined, was Tsunade. She was healing him, despite the mess of blood that his side had become. Shizune was assisting, and Sakura was on Naruto's other side, holding his hand and looking fiercely hopeful.

"Huh," Jiraiya said, then, "Dammit."

Shikaku was going to be insufferable when Jiraiya showed up with Tsunade in tow. For a moment he wondered what Konoha would look like now if it had been one of Shikaku's ancestors that had taken the hat first.

Konoha would be either a very pleasant place, or a very scary one.

000

Sasuke patted the dirt down around the tomato plant he'd just added to the vegetable garden before turning to face his visitor.

"Hokage-sama," he said, eyeing Shikaku where he was seated on a low wall, so relaxed that Sasuke would assume he had been there for ages if he hadn't just looked over thirty seconds ago.

"Sasuke-san," he greeted. "My wife would be jealous of your garden. You should give her some tips."

Sasuke just shrugged, though he was secretly pleased with the compliment. He was proud of his gardens, and sometimes had the idle thought that if he hadn't been born a shinobi, he would perhaps have been a gardner.

"So," Shikaku said. "You owe me an answer."

Sasuke stood and dusted his hands off on his pants. He then walked over and sat next to Shikaku on the wall.

"I'm going to become Hokage one day," he said, because he'd been  _thinking_ about this, and didn't look over to check Shikaku's reaction. "So that I can make sure what happened to my family doesn't happen again. Having a Hokage for a teacher is probably a good start."

Shikaku hummed, noncommittal. "Probably. Here, I brought the paperwork that will make your apprenticeship official. Usually I'd wait until you were a chunin so I didn't step on your sensei's toes. Since Kakashi is now taking over as jounin commander, he won't have time for a genin team, so it doesn't really matter."

Sasuke took the small stack of papers and stared down at it. "What about Naruto and Sakura?" he asked, and Shikaku looked over at him again.

"Well, they'll be getting new mentors, as well. I plan on still sending the three of you out on missions together under the guidance of various jounin. You'll be competing in the next genin exams as a team, as well. I've also spoken to Kakashi about him continuing to train you in the use of your Sharingan, so he'll still be around."

Sasuke's shoulders relaxed. He wasn't sure when he'd decided to start caring about his team but he couldn't completely deny to himself that they were...important.

Sasuke read quickly through the paperwork and only hesitated for a moment before accepting a pen from Shikaku and signing. When one of Shikaku's guards appeared next to them and took it, Sasuke had to resist the urge to snatch it out of his hands and tear it up.

He couldn't believe he was tying himself to this village instead of taking the chance to leave, to make his own way. He still hated the place and figured that a part of him, at least, always would.

He could not forget, however, that his father had loved Konoha, despite its flaws. Loved it enough that instead of trying to leave with the clan, they'd made plans to fight for it.

Sasuke still wasn't sure how he felt about the Uchiha clan's attempt at a coup d'etat, but he knew that leaving the village to potentially continue to rot from the inside isn't what Uchiha Fugaku would have wanted his son to do.

"Alright," Shikaku said, and stood. "Go and get your bags, then."

Sasuke stared up at him. "Excuse me?" he said, voice cool, and Shikaku put his hands in his pockets.

"Didn't I tell you? The Nara are a traditional bunch. We don't usually take on formal apprenticeships, but when we do we tend to follow the old ways."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What exactly does that mean?"

Shikaku sighed. "Maa, kids are so out of touch these days. It means that you're going to live in my guesthouse so that I have easy access to you at all times. No go on, pack what you need. You'll have every Sunday off to come back here do your gardening. I'm sure that my wife would let you work in ours, as well."

Sasuke's eye twitched.

"Absolutely not," he snapped.

000

Shikamaru eyed the newest member of their household, who was glaring down at his plate as though he could start it on fire with his eyes. Maybe he could. The Sharingan was rumored to have some awesome and strange powers.

Yoshino was in full-on fuss mode, scooping more food onto Sasuke's already full plate and asking him if he liked the guest house. Shikaku was looking amused enough that Shikamaru assumed that Sasuke had just had his first experience of being backed into a corner by his father.

Nariko nudged him, and he looked over at her. "You okay?" she whispered, and darted her eyes over to Sasuke.

She probably thought he was feeling jealous of the new suck on his father's time. In reality, he was just hoping that all of the random responsibilities Shikaku had been dumping on Shikamaru's shoulders would now get foisted upon his new apprentice. A boy could dream.

He gave her a small half smile and reached over to grab her hand. "I'm good," he said.

"Oh ho, getting handsy under the table, huh?" Tsume said, then cackled when Shikamaru jumped and yanked his hand back as if scalded.

Yoshino had invited Nariko and Tsume over for dinner weeks ago, and threatened Shikaku with an indeterminate length of time spent sleeping on the couch if he didn't show. When he'd sauntered through the door with a murderous new apprentice just in time for dinner Yoshino had been delighted.

Apparently having one moody teenager in the house wasn't enough for her. He supposed Sasuke wouldn't sneak off to try and take naps, though Shikamaru thought that the probability of him sneaking off to angst alone was high.

"So, Sasuke-kun," Tsume said, turning her attention to the glowering boy.

He grunted in response, and Tsume looked  _delighted._ "Ooooh, just when I thought Shikaku's life couldn't get any more un-Nara like, he goes and gets himself the most driven and angry student he could find."

Shikaku sighed and Nariko rolled her eyes at her aunt, but she was trying to hide her amusement by ducking her head and letting her hair fall forward. Shikamaru ignored the adults' conversation in favor of staring at his girlfriend.

He wondered if she'd let him kiss her again soon. She had seemed to like it, though he hadn't exactly used a lot of finesse. He narrowed his eyes and contemplated asking his father for advice on kissing. Would it be worth it?

"Shikamaru," his father's amused voice said, and he pulled his eyes from where he'd been studying the freckles dusting Nariko's nose.

"What?" he grumbled, ignoring his father's knowing look and picking up his chopsticks.

"I said, you're going to be in charge of teaching Sasuke the basics of Yin release."

Shikamaru glared at Shikaku. "Isn't that  _your_ job? You know, as his teacher?"

Sasuke scoffed, and Shikamaru found himself in the odd position of sharing a commiserating look with the boy.

Shikaku's eyes narrowed. "It'll be good for you," he said.

Shikamaru would have argued more, but he was aware of his girlfriend watching their back and forth from next to him. Fighting with his dad over a bit of extra work probably wouldn't make him look very kissable. He slumped as he realized his father probably knew that he was more likely to agree under Nariko's wide, admiring gaze.

One day, he'd stop getting bamboozled by the man.

000

Nariko fiddled with the sleeve of her kimono, taking in her reflection as Hana finished twisting her hair back.

"Look at you, all dressed up," her cousin said in satisfaction.

Across the room a grumpy Suoh was being groomed by Tsume, who looked up and whistled.

"Nice. At this point your boyfriend might even stay awake for the whole date," she said, and she and Hana both laughed uproariously.

Nariko sent Suoh a betrayed look when he joined in, but he just rolled his tongue out of his mouth and she sighed, defeated. She had a feeling her family would never get over their humor over her dating a Nara.

All three women tilted their heads to the side when they heard a familiar scuffing of feet turning up the walk. Hana gave her one last critical look before nodding in satisfaction.

"Alright. You're good to go," she said.

Nariko chewed on her lower lip as Suoh stood and shook himself, his fur shiny and smelling lightly of lavender. There was a knock on the door and she rushed to cut her family off before they could get ahead of her.

"Be extra charming!" Tsume yelled. "We're counting on you!"

Nariko shook her head as their laughter followed her down the hall. She opened the door to reveal Shikamaru, hands tucked into his own black formal wear. His eyes widened when he took in her green kimono, held shut with a copper colored obi. She was wearing the necklace he'd given her, and Hana had done her makeup again.

He cleared his throat. "You look pretty," he said, and she sighed as Tsume yelled from down the hall.

"You mean beautiful! She looks  _beautiful._ That kid is his father's child, completely useless with women."

Nariko turned bright red and darted out of the house, letting Suoh out with her and slamming the door before her aunt could say anything else embarrassing.

"Sorry," she said. "Um. You look really good, too."

When she looked up at him he was smiling, and she swallowed.

"She's right. Beautiful is probably a better word," he said, then reached out and grabbed her hand while she tried to keep herself from bursting into flames.

"Thank you," she said lamely, and followed him as he walked down the steps.

"Suoh, you look good too," he said.

Suoh sighed and his head drooped. "The other ninken are going to make fun of me," he grumbled, and Shikamaru let out a surprised laugh.

The walk to the Nara compound was pleasant, and they entered the large event center hand in hand. Nariko tried not to show just how nervous she was about meeting Shikamaru's whole  _clan,_ but it was difficult. What if they all hated her?

Suoh stayed close to her side as Shikamaru led her through the crowd towards an older man surrounded by well-wishers. It took her a moment to recognize him as Rokuro, the man who had allowed Kurenai to paint his nails when he was Nariko's guard at the hospital.

Before she could stop them, her eyes darted down to his nails. Paint-free. When she looked up his eyes were on her and there was an amused tilt to his lips.

"I'm afraid that wasn't a normal thing for me to do," he said in a low pleasant voice, and Nariko blushed.

Shikamaru looked over at her and then back to the new head of his clan. "Rokuro-sama. Congratulations. I was going to introduce you to my girlfriend, but it seems as though you've already met."

Nariko was aware of the curious gazes of the people around them, but she just bowed and smiled up at him, feeling a little better as she remembered him studying the various nail polishes with a serious expression before choosing the sparkling black one.

"Nara-sama. It's nice to see you again. Congratulations on your appointment as the Nara clan head."

His smile grew and he inclined his head. "It's nice to see you well. I was one of her guards when she was in the hospital," he said to Shikamaru, who made an acknowledging noise in the back of his throat.

Rokuro asked after her family, and they exchanged polite conversation until it became obvious that others were waiting to greet and congratulate the man. She bowed again and let Shikamaru lead her over to the refreshments table.

His cousin Nato wandered over to say hello to her while he was getting her a drink. Suoh was sitting next to her, bored out of his mind as they chatted about his new apprenticeship in Intelligence. When Shikamaru returned he glowered at the boy until he stuttered out a goodbye and left.

Nariko raised an eyebrow at him, but he didn't meet her gaze, instead choosing to stare mournfully down at his punch. Suoh was chuffing out laughter at her feet for some reason, and she gave up on trying to understand the intricacies of the male brain.

The ceremony started soon after, and it was long and boring and involved Rokuro saying a few sets of vows before accepting a pair of hoop earrings from a solemn Shikaku. Shikamaru did, indeed, doze off next to her, and she vowed never to tell her aunt and cousin.

When it was finished they all stood and started migrating towards the doors. Nariko shot Shikamaru a questioning glance and he shrugged.

"We're all going out to the forest so that the deer can greet him," he said.

"That's...really sweet," she said, feeling suddenly fond of the slouched, deadly figures around her as they shuffled out to greet the herd.

"It's not sweet, it's  _profound,"_ one of the shinobi that was walking close to her said, and she giggled when he winked at her.

Shikamaru grabbed her hand and side-eyed the man, and Nariko gaped at him as the reason behind his earlier crankiness with his cousin clicked.

"Are you  _jealous?"_ she whispered.

"Took you long enough," Suoh muttered next to her, because of course he heard her question.

"No," Shikamaru said, too fast, and looked over to the side.

Nariko shook her head. "Well that's just stupid. It's pretty obvious that I don't like anybody else."

She sighed at the resulting pleased expression on his face, and let him tug her closer to his side. Suoh stopped at the fence, stating that the deer didn't like him much before trotting off, probably to go visit Aoi in the kennels while he was still looking so sharp. Nariko suspected that he had a little crush on the other ninken.

Nariko let Shikamaru lift her over the fence, since her kimono made it sort of difficult to just hop over, and took the chance to nuzzle against his neck. He barely kept from dropping her, which sent her into peals of laughter that she tried unsuccessfully to hide as he scowled. Instead of being annoyed, most of the Nara that were still close enough to hear her looked amused.

Nariko watched as the deer daintily took turns eating oats from Rokuro's hand. It really  _was_ sweet, and she wondered how the whole village didn't know that the Nara clan were actually just a bunch of animal-loving marshmallows. Well, when they weren't killing people or expertly manipulating them like pieces on a Shogi board.

Afterwards the crowd dispersed and Nariko sent Shikamaru a questioning look when he tugged on her hand.

"Want to go for a walk?" he asked, and tilted his chin towards the field to their right.

"Sure," she agreed.

They walked through the long grass, which swished against the fabric of her kimono. The moon was half full overhead and the sounds of crickets were a pleasant staccato in the background.

"How's it going with Sasuke?" she asked.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Eh. Fine. He's smart, so it's easy to teach him. I think dad is hoping we'll become best friends or something," he said, and rolled his eyes.

"Maybe you will," Nariko said casually, and he glanced at her.

"You don't sound like you'd be bothered by it. I thought you hated him."

Nariko snorted. "Nah. He can be a jerk, but it's not like he's evil. I think...he could probably use all the friends he can get. It's so sad, what happened to his family."

Shikamaru stopped walking, and she turned towards him, opening her mouth to ask what was wrong.

"You're amazing," he said, voice serious.

She hoped her blush wasn't too apparent in the moonlight.

"Shikamaru," she protested, flustered.

He stepped towards her and put a hesitant hand on her waist, just below her obi. "Can I -?"

She bit her lip, then nodded. This time their kiss lasted longer, and it was better this way, with their bodies brushing against each other. When he pulled back she couldn't help but smile at him. He returned it with one of his rare full ones, and she leaned in, feeling suddenly bold, to kiss him one more time.

Sometimes, her Inuzuka side came out at the best of times.

000

Nariko scrambled over the wall just as two maids came out of the side entrance to the small hotsprings. She plastered herself against it and attempted to control her breathing as they struck up a conversation about the group of shinobi who were staying there, giggling and whispering.

It was the same group that Nariko had just stolen a sheaf of files from while they soaked, unsuspecting, in the pool. Her intercom buzzed in her ear as Shino checked in, letting them know he'd gotten the other half of the package from his own target. Nariko crept through the thin trees lining the wall until she was out of earshot.

"Package retrieved," she said, adjusting the towel wrapped around her and hoping she wouldn't be expected to run in it.

She continued towards their meeting place, and after a moment Hinata's voice chimed in. "They're still soaking in the hot springs and haven't realized that you took the packages yet," she said.

"Good, maybe I'll have time to put on clothes," Nariko muttered, and Hinata giggled.

Nariko entered their campsite and Suoh trotted up to her. "You were successful, I suppose," he said, rubbing his cheek against her hip.

"Yep," she said, and scurried over to her folded up clothes.

Shino entered the campsite just as she was pulling her coat on over her tank top. He was holding his own set of documents, stolen from the rooms where one of the shinobi had been napping.

"Hey, Shino. Nice work -"

"Um, they have realized that they were robbed," Hinata said, and Nariko's eyes widened. "I'm coming to you. Then...we should probably run."

As their little party dashed through the forest, setting up traps as they went to slow down the pissed off and yelling shinobi in various states of undress chasing after them, Nariko couldn't stop the smile that bloomed across her face.

She glanced at Suoh, and he chuffed out a laugh. On his other side, Hinata bit her lip when an explosion and curses sounded behind them.

"Oops," Shino said, deadpan, beside her, and Nariko laughed, the sound traveling through the forest and back towards their pursuers.

Her team really was the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Thursday: the Epilogue! 
> 
> Also, I've pretty much decided Hokage!Shikaku, moles and scheming included, is getting another, unrelated, fic. It's in brainstorming phase, you guys. I'm thinking one where he becomes the fifth hokage right after Minato's death. Any thoughts?


	16. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favorite teams are now seventeen, and, you guessed it, Shikaku is still pissing off the people around him. Also, there's fluff and tomb raiding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it - the last chapter! Thank you so much to everybody who supported me as I wrote this! It's crazy that I can mark it as complete. :) 
> 
> Also, I found some [adorable mole art](https://sir-heartsalot.deviantart.com/art/Moles-20348596) to 'set the mood,' if you will.
> 
> Please tell me this chapter means I can add the tag 'tomb raiding' to this fic, because that would be life.

Team Ten sprinted into the cave, Nariko drawing her kodachi and spinning around to knock the poisoned senbon that were zinging towards them out of the air.

They'd learned the  _poisoned_  part of the equation the hard way while they were trying to sneak past the monks in the forest to get to the temple they were about to rob. Nariko wondered how people functioned on teams without an Aburame on them.

Though having insects crawl all over you as they sucked poison from your blood was...uncomfortable. Even after experiencing it a few times. Turns out poison is something a lot of people use to try and deter thieves.

They turned a corner, moving deeper into the cave system that led to the temple they were going to rob, if everything went according to plan. Hinata was gasping next to her, one sleeve on her dark shirt torn completely off. Shino had lost his coat at one point, revealing his loose black t-shirt that he usually wore beneath. Nariko's fitted black pants and shirt were littered in holes from the trap she'd activated that had peppered her with tiny projectiles coated in paralytic.

In short, they were a mess.

They slowed to a light jog, aware of the probability of more traps, but also unwilling to reduce their pace more than that, thanks to the dozen or so determined monks that were after them.

Nariko and Suoh carefully scented the air, but it smelled only of must and dirt, as though nobody had entered the place in a long time. There was natural light filtering in through narrow openings in the ceiling that made it possible to make out the rough, dusty walls and packed earth floor. Next to her Hinata had activated her Byakugan, and Shino sent out his kikaichu to scout ahead.

"I think -" Hinata started to say just as they turned another corner that revealed a long, rounded hallway that angled upwards, then squeaked as the spot she had just stepped on made a scraping noise.

Nariko watched, horrified, as a perfect square revealed itself beneath Hinata's foot and sank into the floor. They all stopped, and for a long few seconds there was silence. Then the ground began to shake, and a distant rumbling sound met their ears.

"Um, there is a large boulder coming towards us down the hallway," Hinata said a little unnecessarily, as it had just become visible.

"We should run," Shino said, but none of them particularly wanted to go back into the waiting arms of the pissed off men and women in robes that were carrying very large staffs.

"Suoh," Nariko snapped, and tossed him a chakra pill.

She popped one in her own mouth, and ignoring the way she could feel the rumbling of the huge -  _seriously huge -_  boulder slamming its way down the incline, took off running -  _towards_ it.

"Nariko!" Hinata gasped as Suoh joined her and they morphed into their Human Beast Clone Technique.

She closed her eyes as the boulder got closer. "Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf," she said.

They merged together, moving into a spin as they did so. They hadn't marked the boulder, but considering it was heading straight for them, she figured they couldn't miss it.

They began to spin, faster and faster, pushing more chakra than they would usually expend on the jutsu to speed the process up. When they collided with the boulder, she felt it all the way to her bones, despite the whirling column of chakra that protected them.

They ground against the stone and for one breathless moment, as their spin began to lose velocity, she thought they weren't going to make it. Then they were breaking through the other side, separating as they both released their chakra.

They skidded across the ground and Nariko gasped in air as her vision reoriented itself.

"Suoh, you good?" she asked, then coughed when she inhaled dust.

"Other than having an idiot for a partner, yes, I'm fine," he grumbled.

She sat up just as Hinata and Shino reached her side, and took in the large pieces of what had once been a boulder littering the hallway with wide eyes.

"Are you alright?" Hinata asked, and Nariko noted that all four of them were now coated in a fine layer of grit.

"Fine," she said, and staggered to her feet. "Just took a lot out of me. Let's go."

"Sorry," Hinata said. "I could see there was a trap, but hadn't identified where the trigger was. The way they're set up is complex."

Nariko and Shino didn't have time to answer, as Suoh had tripped over a wire and they had to run for their lives when the ceiling opened up and began dropping sharp stakes on their heads.

"I'm going to kill Shikaku-sama," Nariko gritted out when they all stumbled to a stop as they emerged into a large cavern.

It had been hand carved, that much was obvious, and it was beautiful. The stone of the walls was some sort of white, sparkling substance, and there was a ledge that went all the way around the cavern.

A large underground lake lapped at the stone walkway, and in the middle, set on an island that jutted up into the air about fifty feet with sheer, white sides that would be close to impossible to scale without chakra, was the temple they were supposed to be getting to.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say getting on or in the water is a bad idea," Nariko said.

"I would have to agree with you," Shino said as they saw a large shape move beneath the surface of the black liquid.

"We could climb the walls, then lower down onto it from above," Hinata suggested.

They looked up. And up, and up.

"Maybe not," she conceded.

Nariko tilted her head as the sounds of running footsteps reached her ears. They'd already been thoroughly thrashed by the staff-wielding monks once, and she wasn't eager to relive the experience.

"They're coming," she said.

They exchanged looks.

"Run for it?" Nariko asked.

Suoh sighed. "Run for it," he agreed.

They hit the water at a sprint. They were fifty feet from the island when Hinata yelled, "Nariko, dodge!"

She obediently jumped to the right, and almost lost control of her chakra when a gigantic snake-like creature breached the water, mouth-first, where she'd just been standing, spraying water everywhere. It had black, thick scales, and large whiskers extending from its cheeks.

"Oh shit," she whispered as its huge bulk reached its crest, then began to slowly fall to the side. She ran faster.

"Hinata, you could have told us that there were summons the  _size of the Hokage Tower_ in the water!" Nariko screeched.

"I also would have liked to know that before deciding that running across the water was the best option," Shino agreed.

In reply, Hinata told Shino to dodge. After that, they saved their breath for running. When the first creature that had breached finally hit the water, it sent a huge wave rolling across the surface, and all three of the human members of their team were sucked into it despite their best efforts otherwise.

It was actually helpful, as it ended up slamming Nariko into the side of the rock face leading up to the island. Nariko barely managed to latch onto it with her chakra as she coughed and blinked water out of her eyes. Next to her, Shino was clinging to the wall as well, glasses gone, hair plastered to his face, and looking more than a little frustrated.

Suoh had leapt before the wave got to him, and was crouched above them, not dry, exactly, but not as wet as Nariko and Shino. Hinata's head popped out of the water a moment later, about ten feet from the island.

"Hinata!" Nariko yelled as she saw movement in the water around her.

"I got her," Suoh said, and with one powerful push from his hind legs he soared over their heads and landed next to her.

He clamped his teeth into the back of her shirt and sprung from the surface of the water just as one of the eels' jaws snapped closed over the space they'd been occupying.

Nariko had the absurd urge to giggle at the sight of a bedraggled and dripping Hinata hanging from the jaws of a large dog, blinking in confusion. She looked like a kitten that had just been plucked from the bath by its mother.

"Well," Suoh said after Hinata had gotten a grip on the wall and he let her go, "it's official. Shikaku-sama is still mad at you for stealing his pen."

"That was years ago," Nariko mumbled as they began running up the side of the wall.

She heard the whistle of a projectile flying through the air and called out a warning. They scattered, and she pushed more speed into her already-exhausted legs while senbon and daggers clattered against the stone with a shower of sparks around her. It looked like the monks had caught up to them.

Suoh stumbled next to her and she looked over, concerned by his bit of uncharacteristic clumsiness. Then she groaned when she realized his paw had hit some sort of trigger. Around her, bits of stone began to recede into the rock face.

The now-familiar sounds of mechanisms clicking filled the chamber. Nariko ran faster.

She had just reached the top of the island when an ominous groaning sound came from the far wall. She glanced over and saw that the monks were nowhere to be found. Not good.

Then a large swath of the cave wall set about twenty feet above the entrance they'd entered through began to move. She realized belatedly that it was a door, slowly raising up with a moan that spoke of years of disuse.

"Well, that's not good," Suoh said as hundreds of gallons of water began gushing out of the new hole in the wall to splash into the lake below.

Nariko turned a glare on him, but didn't comment. Shino and Hinata appeared by her side, and they exchanged looks. It would be impossible to hear each other talk over the thundering sound of water hitting water, but then they didn't need to. Their task was fairly clear.

The water level was rising quickly, and it was only a matter of minutes before it reached them. Nariko spun and looked up. There - at the top of a long set of stone stairs, just like Shikaku had described when detailing their mission to them, was an altar.

She nudged Hinata and pointed at it. The girl narrowed her eyes, then activated her Byakugan. She studied it for a long moment before nodding once and signing to them.

_Follow me._

Hinata took off and Nariko fell into line behind her, concentrating on placing her feet exactly where Hinata did. The last thing they needed were  _more_ traps being sprung. Just what kind of scroll had Shikaku sent them to steal, anyway?

When they reached the top, Hinata held up a hand in a signal to stop. Nariko watched from where she was standing on the top step as she slowly hopped her way across a platform made from what looked like granite to a large, thick altar, which was made from the same gleaming material as the walls around them.

Sitting on top was an innocuous looking, medium sized scroll. Hinata took a deep breath, then reached forward and plucked it from its stand. They all froze, waiting for the next death trap to rain fire or acid or projectiles upon them. It never came.

Nariko supposed that between the giant eels and the water, the people who created this cave probably thought they were covered. They spent a few frantic minutes darting from one end of the small island to the other, looking for another exit since the one they'd come in through was now under twenty feet of eel-infested lake.

None appeared. Hinata looked around with her Byakugan, and Nariko knew she had to be close to running out of chakra. They all were.

Then she stopped and stared at a section of wall about ten feet above the current water level on the far side from where they'd originally entered. Her eyes widened, and she turned to Nariko, tugging her down so she could yell in her ear.

"Do you and Suoh have enough chakra to do Double-Headed Wolf again?" Nariko paused, then shrugged and nodded.

They'd be wiped afterwards, but hey, anything was better than being eaten by a carnivorous water-snake or beaten to death by angry monks.

Hinata pointed to the section of wall she'd been staring at. "Exactly eleven feet above the water level, the wall is...thinner there, and comes out on the side of the mountain. Can you...?"

Nariko's eyes narrowed. She glanced at Suoh, who seemed to have gotten the gist of it, and he lolled his tongue out to the side. She rolled her eyes.

"We got this," she mouthed, and gave Hinata a thumbs up.

Hinata turned and yelled frantically in Shino's ear, whose hazel eyes widened. A bug crawled across one as he nodded before it disappeared under the opposite lid. That had stopped freaking Nariko out years ago. This wasn't the first time they'd been in a situation where he lost his glasses.

"It will be difficult to aim, but I think we can do it," Suoh grumbled into her ear as she held out a hand with a chakra pill on it.

"Same. Alright. Let's go."

They ran across the surface of the water after leaping from the ledge of the island, ignoring the eels breaching the water around them as they tried to snap them into their jaws. If they dodged, they'd never hit their mark, so they just tried to be faster than the apparently ravenous creatures. As they merged together and Nariko closed her eyes, she prayed their plan would work.

It barely worked. The stone was harder than whatever material the boulder had been made out of. They had just breached the other side of the wall when water began rushing out behind them, and Nariko screamed when they seperated and hit air.

Hinata hadn't mentioned that they were going to come out at a very steep incline. They rolled down the side of the mountain in a rush of water and flailing limbs. Nariko had no more chakra to use to try and catch herself, and the water was coming out in force, making it even more difficult to figure out where she was or how to stop her descent.

She curled into a ball to try and minimize the damage, and wondered how long she'd have to live if she killed her Hokage after this.

She was saved, as she often was, by one of her teammates. Shino scooped her up and jumped to the side of the mountain's brand new water fall, and she blinked water out of her eyes.

"Suoh -" she croaked.

"Hinata has him," Shino reassured her.

"Oh, good. Hey, we survived," she said, and brightened.

That's when the monks made another appearance.

000

Shikaku eyed the three bruised, battered, and cut up chunin in front of him with no small amount of amusement. Nariko plopped the scroll down on his desk and blew a hunk of matted hair out of her face.

"Your scroll,  _Hokage-sama,"_ she gritted out.

"Ah, thank you, Nariko-chan," he said, then yawned.

She twitched, and her fingers flexed. He thought she might be imagining strangling him. His son really had picked an adorable future wife.

"Well, we're going to go shower. We'll give our full report -"

"Wait just a moment," he said mildly as he opened the scroll.

He looked over the description there and hummed. It only confirmed what he'd already assumed, but he had needed to make sure. Too much was at stake.

He took a few notes and ignored Nariko's glare and the ominous buzzing coming from Shino, who was wearing a cheap ill-fitting periwinkle coat and...a pair of pink sunglasses with little sunflowers painted on the corners. They must have stopped to buy him something on their way back. He graciously decided not to lecture them about taking time to go shopping on such a high-priority mission.

"Alright," he said, closing the scroll with a flourish. "I'm going to need you to bring this back to the monks now. Along with this, as an apology of sorts."

He held out a second scroll that he thought the monks would appreciate. Nariko's jaw had dropped open, and she stared at him, incredulous.

"You - you want us to  _take it back_ to the murderous monks whose temple we just trashed? Are you  _trying_ to get me killed?"

Shikaku just raised an eyebrow at her. She glared at him and swiped the scrolls from his hand before spinning on her heel. Suoh, whose fur was currently a vague grey color, was rumbling deep in his chest.

"Oh, and don't dally, alright? The Guardians of Death don't take theft lightly, and have probably already sent out a retrieval team. The last thing we need is a skirmish within Konoha's borders, huh? I'd say you have...about half an hour to intercept, since you made a stop on the way back."

He motioned at Shino, and the sound of buzzing increased. Nariko swore, and he had to admit he was impressed with himself. The woman hardly ever cursed.

After they'd rushed off with one last glare from Nariko when he'd reminded her that Yoshino expected her to dinner the next night, he signalled to his guards. They appeared at his desk.

"You need to leave, and I'm initiating lockdown." He held up a hand when they went to protest.

"Non-negotiable," he said. "Go."

They went. He stood and removed an old, battered scroll from a drawer in his desk and opened it carefully.

"Alright," he said to himself before bending low over the complicated seals. "It's about time we reunited you with that wife of yours, huh, Minato?"

000

"He's fine," Shikamaru said for the fifth time that day. "Stop worrying. It makes you even more of a drag than usual."

Sasuke glared at him, and he just raised a brow. They were both a little dirty from the spar Sasuke had bullied him into earlier that day. Shikamaru had only agreed because he knew that Sasuke  _was_ genuinely worried about Naruto, who was two days late coming back from his mission.

Shikamaru figured that the blonde ball of sunshine had just run into somebody with a sob story and had stopped to save them from a horrible fate. The inevitable ending to all his missions, it seemed.

The spar hadn't helped to cheer Sasuke up all that much, since Shikamaru had won, but at least he had stopped brooding for a whole forty five minutes. It had certainly put Shikamaru in a good mood, since it they were now at a lifetime twenty wins for Shikamaru and eighteen for Sasuke. Not that he was keeping track, or anything.

"You should just ask him out when he gets back and put the village out of its misery. Seriously, the unresolved sexual tension is getting ridiculous."

Sasuke scoffed. "Like you're any better. How are those plans to court Nariko coming along?"

Shikamaru manfully ignored Sasuke's question. They'd been fighting a war when they turned sixteen, and then Nariko had asked if they could just date like normal teenagers instead of dealing with clan drama. Which was  _fine,_ obviously. If she wasn't ready to go through courting, he would respect that.

He glowered down at his noodles and ignored the rowdy group of genin sitting next to them in the outdoor seating area.

"That's what I thought," Sasuke said, smug.

"Well, at least  _Nariko_  isn't going on a date with somebody else this week," Shikamaru said, then sat back to enjoy Sasuke's enraged expression.

"Who would be stupid enough to date the idiot," he snapped.

Shikamaru knew it was an actual question, and shrugged, taking a bite and chewing it slowly as Sasuke stewed in his own angst. He wiped his mouth after swallowing, then leaned back, all lazy indolence as Sasuke's eye twitched.

"Some chunin at the missions desk," he finally said, and reveled in Sasuke's sputtering.

"A  _chunin?_ A paperwork chunin? Why would he -"

"Guess he got tired of waiting on the guy of his dreams."

Shikamaru took a drink of his water as Sasuke entered a glaring contest with his dinner. The other man was just too easy to rile up. Ridiculous - you'd think after over three years of living in the Nara household he'd be able to spot their manipulations. Apparently not.

"Oh shit," one of the annoying male genin said. "Hottie alert, six o'clock."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as the young shinobi's friends snickered. What had their waitress been thinking, seating them next to this group? Sasuke was usually one annoyance away from murdering random people at any given moment. This was just asking for trouble.

"Oh, they look beat up. Kunoichi are so hot after they've been fighting."

"Man, those clan girls are fierce."

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that's the  _heir_  to the Hyuuga clan and the head of the Inuzuka clan's niece. Which means she can hear you, you idiots," the only girl with them hissed.

Shikamaru's eyes widened, and he twisted in his chair and craned his neck. There, walking down the street, was Nariko's team.

They really  _did_ look beat up. Both Hinata and Nariko were in fitted black gear that was ripped and bloodied in places. Nariko's hair had come out of her braid was was hanging in clumped, dirty curls around her face. She was laughing at something Naruto - who for some reason was with them looking worse for wear himself - had said to Shino.

Shino, who was wearing pink sunglasses and a periwinkle women's coat. Just what the hell had happened on their mission?

"Man, look at those jug-"

"Shut  _up,_ you ingrates! Do you want to be tossed through a wall?" the girl genin cut off her teammate again, but Shikamaru was already turning a glare on the genin that had been about to comment on his girlfriend's (very nice, he could admit) breasts.

Sasuke snickered. "What, feeling threatened by a genin?" he mocked.

"Besides," the girl continued, "do you see who's with them? That's  _Uzumaki Naruto._ He's so handsome," she said with a sigh.

Sasuke's amused expression dropped off his face, and it was his turn to look grumpy. Shikamaru just raised an eyebrow at him before throwing down money for his now-forgotten meal and heading for Nariko.

"...good thing you came along when you did, Naruto. Those monks were ready to feed us to their eels. It's like Shikaku-sama  _wants_ me to die a horrible death. Maybe he wants to make way for a political marriage for Shika," she said as Shikamaru approached, and Naruto laughed.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. Apparently he and his father would have to have some  _words_ later. Then Nariko cocked her head to the side and her nostrils flared.

Her eyes widened before she spun on her heel to face him. His breath left him in a whoosh when she smiled at him, bright and happy. Those stupid genin were right. She was  _gorgeous._

Then she was leaning against him, perfect and soft despite smelling strongly of algae, dirt, and blood. He heard Naruto yelp as Sasuke fisted his shirt and growled something about taking him out to dinner, but was thoroughly distracted by her lips on his.

He couldn't help but feel a little smug as he heard one of the genin grumble, "Some guys have all the luck."

Nariko smiled against his lips and pulled back. "Your dad's a jerk, you know?" she said cheerfully, and he smiled back, helpless.

"Yeah," he said. "I know. Want to do something awful to him?"

She leaned against him and laid her head on his chest. "It's a date."

000

After pouring blue dye into his father's secret sake stash in his office - the one that Shikamaru knew he liked to take a shot of before important meetings - they went to the park.

Shikamaru unsealed the picnic he'd put together for them and they sat on the cool grass. Nariko leaned against him, and he put an arm around her waist.

"So, I think Hinata and Shino are secretly dating," she said conversationally, and he paused in his motions of laying out their food.

"Huh," he said. "I guess I could see it."

"Mmm-hmm," she said. "They're probably afraid to tell me - worried I'll feel left out."

"Will you?"

"Nah," she said. "I'm happy for them. It was hard for Hinata, after she realized Naruto wasn't interested, and wasn't ever going to be."

Shikamaru shrugged. He couldn't really understand that sort of thing - he'd been pretty lucky in love himself.

"I think I want to move out of my aunt's house," Nariko said after they'd been eating for awhile.

Shikamaru set down his chopsticks, chest tightening. She kept messing with his plans. He had been planning to court her when they turned sixteen, then propose at seventeen. They'd marry at eighteen and she'd move into the house that he built for them straight from her aunt's house. They were already well over seventeen, though, and there had still been no official courting.

"Oh?" is all he said, and she huffed out a laugh.

"Shikamaru...I don't really want to go the traditional route." She sounded nervous, and he looked over at her.

She was biting her lip, but he could see she had made up her mind about whatever she was about to say by the stubborn tilt to her chin. She turned towards him and took his hands in her own.

"I know what marrying you means, and I - I'm okay with that. I'll have to take a mostly in-village position, and handle the day-to-day running of the clan, like Yoshino-sama did before Rokuro-sama took over.

"And...we'll need to make heirs. I get it. I just - I'm not ready for that yet. I'm not going be ready for a while."

Shikamaru shook his head. "If you don't want to retire, Nariko, we'll work it out. The clan's a little too traditional anyway. They could use a reality check."

Nariko smiled up at him with enough adoration that you'd think he'd just announced that he'd gone deep sea diving for pearls, and look, he'd made her necklace with them.

"Okay. That - that's good to know. Still, I won't be able to take as many out-of-village missions. Right now, I like how things are. I like going on adventures with my team."

Shikamaru swallowed, and accepted that his timeline had just been blown to hell. That was okay, though. She was worth waiting for.

"I thought - I thought maybe we could get a place together."

His brain short-circuited, and he stared at her.

"I know your clan's weirdly traditional, so if that makes you uncomfortable - I mean, we can wait. But I want to - I want to live with you. And everything that entails?"

He blinked as her cheeks turned red beneath her clan markings. Well. Shikamaru could work with this, too. Improvisation was one of the tenets of being a genius, after all.

"I've freaked you out, haven't I? I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. Your clan elders would probably -"

He pulled her into a kiss, and she squeaked before relaxing into it. He put his hands on either side of her face, and she opened her mouth, allowing him to lick inside of it. Eventually they ended up lying side by side, running their hands lightly over clothes and kissing until Shikamaru's jaw was sore and his lips felt bruised.

He pulled back and put his forehead to hers.

"Alright," he agreed, voice rough. "We can start looking for places this week."

Her smile was worth every bit of complaining he was going to hear from his mother and the old crotchety men who ran his clan.

He supposed Nariko always did like to do things her own way. It was one of his favorite things about her.

000

Nariko dropped the last box, labeled 'Suoh's grooming kit,' onto the bedroom floor.

Naruto and Sasuke were arguing over the best place to put the couch in the living room, and she giggled when Sasuke said, "You know, this would be a lot easier if you weren't  _lying on top of this_  while we're trying to move it, Nara."

"Maa, it's good for you, Sasuke-kun. I'm doing you a favor," Shikamaru's voice said. "You can show your boyfriend just how strong and manly you are."

There was a yelp and a thump, followed by Naruto's laughter and Shikamaru's grumbling. When she stepped into the room, he was lying on the floor on his back, staring up at the ceiling with an adorable scowl on his face.

Sasuke was looking self-satisfied as he and Naruto set the couch down against the wall. Nariko crossed over to Shikamaru and bent over him so that her face blocked his view of the ceiling.

"You promised to help," she scolded lightly, and he sighed dramatically but sat up.

"I was directing. My strength lies in strategizing, after all," he said, and his expression went pleased when she laughed in response.

Later that night, after their friends had left and they'd put together their new bed, they stood awkwardly in their room in their pajamas, staring at each other.

"I - do you want to -" Nariko motioned towards the bed, and he nodded.

"Yeah. Which side -"

"Oh, either is fine -"

After some awkward shuffling, they were both lying in bed next to each other. There were a good six inches of space between them, and they were both so silent that they could hear Suoh's snores from his bed in the living room.

Nariko muttered something that could have been "screw it" a few minutes later, and Shikamaru found himself with a lapful of Inuzuka.

She was straddling his hips and leaning over him, studying him with wide eyes. His hands came up to her waist, and she bit her lip. Shikamaru cleared his throat, already feeling his body respond to her closeness.

"We don't have to -" he started, and she put a finger to his lips.

"I want to," she said.

"Alright," he whispered, and let his mind settle.

They were doing this. He'd suffered through an embarrassing conversation on the joys of sex with his father. No way was he wasting the effort of not dissolving into a puddle of embarrassed goo while Shikaku explained what the clitoris was and where to find it. Shikamaru was still looking into whether or not brain bleach was a real thing that he could buy.

He put a hand at the nape of her neck and tugged her down towards him. Her lips pressed against his, and thoughts of anything other than her soft lips and warm body left him for the rest of the night.

000

The next morning they were eating omelets at their kitchen table - and Nariko couldn't get over the fact that it was  _theirs_  - when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Shikamaru said, sweet and accommodating even after she'd insisted over and over again that she felt fine.

She was a kunoichi, the bit of soreness she felt after having sex for the first time barely registered on her pain scale. Still, she let him fuss because it was adorable, and stayed in place while he stood and walked across the small space of their living room.

"Dad," he said. "Hey, I thought you had a meeting -" he cut off on a choked laugh.

"I did. A very important one, actually. Which is why it's such an inconvenience that my mouth is now  _blue."_

Nariko was out of her chair and across the room before he'd finished saying the last word. Oh, it was  _glorious._

His lips looked like he'd been sucking on a blue raspberry lollipop, and when he turned to her and spoke, she saw that his teeth and tongue had fared no better.

"I don't suppose you had anything to do with this, Nariko-chan?"

She slapped a hand over her mouth to hide her laughter and shook her head back and forth. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"You two. No respect. I know it was either you or Sasuke, since other than my guards nobody else has access to my office," he grumbled at Shikamaru, who just shrugged.

"Might want to look into that security leak, dad," he drawled.

The two of them had a stare-off before Shikaku slumped.

"I'm sorry about the monks thing, okay? Now can you please tell me how to get this off so I don't have to spend three hours maintaining a henge?"

Nariko raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about, as it wasn't me or Shikamaru who did this to you, Hokage-sama.  _However,"_ she said over his groan, "I do appreciate your apology. So I will tell you that I've heard, from somewhere, that rinsing your mouth out with cider vinegar and then brushing your teeth right after should do the trick."

She smiled sweetly at him, and he sighed. "I swear, you're more and more like your father every day."

Nariko beamed at him, then stepped forward and gave him a quick hug around his waist.

"You're sweet, Shikaku-sama," she said.

He grumbled, but she recognized by now when a Nara was feeling pleased with himself, so she just rolled her eyes.

"There's vinegar under the sink and an extra toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet."

"Thank the gods," he said, and slunk off to their kitchen.

"You're too nice," Shikamaru grumbled, and she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, but you like me like that," Nariko said.

He looked down at her, a fond smile forming on his lips as he pulled her against him. In the background Shikaku was sputtering and coughing at the taste of the vinegar he was attempting to gargle. It was possible she had made that part up - toothpaste on its own would have done the trick just fine.

"Yeah," he agreed, and she couldn't help but smile up at him when he reached up and traced her clan marking with one finger. "I really do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went full-on cute for this epilogue. Shocking for anyone who's ever read my stuff before, I know.
> 
> FYI: I am weirdly excited about my Thursday posting schedule this summer. I'm alternating posting chapters from a Neji/Shikamaru fic called [The Lazy Man's Guide to Finding Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14525394/chapters/33559935) and a Shikamaru/Hinata fic called The [Diplomats](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14602209/chapters/33748953).
> 
> I'm making them part of a series called [ByakuNara Thursdays](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1019709). :)


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